Fastest Hero Academia
by tarious123
Summary: Heroes are to be strong, to be able to beat down any villains in their path. Or they have to fierce, to beat fear into any villains they meet. They also have to be tough, to stand tall to show hope to the world. There have many heroes that fit that part, but there is one thing heroes need to be that people has overlooked. They have to FAST! SI-Reincarnated OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A Hero Society**

* * *

It all began one day, in one hospital in China. For reasons that have scientist still have no idea of, a young baby was born. A bright glowing baby. From that day onwards, more and more children are born with increasing weird and unique abilities.

One may have ice powers.

Another with flaming arms.

Soon, decades passed and soon enough most of the population are possessed some kind of superpower of some kind. And with that comes a great change in society as a whole. As there now exist a job that was once thought to be fictional, now became something people strive for, admired to.

Heroes.

More and more of these licensed vigilantes pops out across the globe, as their popularity sky-rocketed into new heights and reached to a peak with one such hero.

All Might, the greatest hero that has ever lived and the Symbol of Peace for all. Thanks to him, crime is at an all-time low in all of history and an era of peace has been ushered in.

But we aren't talking about such a hero in this story. Instead, we're talking about the little guys, the ones among the common folk that tries their best to contribute into this crazy and amazing workforce. The friendly neighborhood Heroes of any towns.

And one such Hero is currently…

Pacing up and down in a hospital.

That Hero is Takaya Maki, aka Speed Hero: Hermes. He was hoping for Turbo Hero but that was taken a great while ago so Speed will have to do.

His costume is rather colorful as expected but plain compared to others in the same career. A dark blue tight jacket with standing red collar reaching to his chin along with a red tight pants tucked into a pair of red leather boots that has a metal wing-shaped plate sewed into its ankle parts and white rubber soles, a metal-fedora with a plastic visor linked to it and pair of leather gloves completes the look.

He was on patrol when his office called him to inform that his pregnant wife has broke water. After a quick deal with one of his sidekicks, he ran as fast as he could with his Speed quirk to the hospital, where he is directed by the counter to outside the maternity ward where his ten-year-old son is sitting on a bench with a book in his lap accompanied by his kid cousin, Nemuri Kayama whom was visiting for the weekend.

After that, it is the waiting game as he paced back and forth in front of the birthing room with worry look on his face.

"Dad." His son, Takaya Tetsujin, turned to him worriedly, "Mom's been there a while."

"Yeah…"

"Hope she's okay…"

"She'll be fine!" He tells him as he increased his pacing, "It's just… she needs time… Oh god, please let there be nothing…"

"Calm down." Nemuri tells him, "It's not the first time she's been in there."

"But it's the first time she's been there this long!" He exclaimed worriedly, "Tetsu didn't take this long, so why is…?"

"Relax, Maki." She assures him patting him on the shoulder, "Lisa is a tough girl! And besides, Tetsu-chan's delivery was fine, wasn't it? I'm sure she's just-"

Then the door opened, interrupting their talk as a doctor walked up with a tired grin on his face, "May I know who's the lucky father?"

"I-I am!" Maki exclaimed as he flashed in front of him in a blur, "I-Is…"

"It's a smooth delivery." He assures the panicky Hero, before stepping aside, "Would you wish to see her?"

The Hero dashes pass him in a hurry as he took in the sight in front of him. His wife, his beautiful Lisa, sitting on the birthing chair with a small bundle of towels in her arms. A few quick steps later and he is next to her as he took a look at the newest addition to their family.

"She has your hair…" He stated with a smile when he saw the turf of blonde hair.

"She does." Lisa said with a tired grin as she leaned on her husband's shoulder.

Nemuri and Tetsujin entered next, with the young boy jogging up to his parents with a curious look towards the bundle in their hands. Maki wordlessly pulls a chair over for him to climb onto, which he did and took a look at his new baby sister, the little infant is snoozing silently all snug in her blanket; when Tetsujin looked at her as a new feeling filled his chest, a desire to protect her immediately taking root.

"This is your new little sister, Tetsu." Lisa tells her son, "What do you think?"

"She's… so small…" He stated in awe, "So… tiny…"

"Yes, she is." Maki stated, "You were like this when you were born too."

"I am…?" Tetsujin gently poked the infant's cheek, who flinched a little before resuming her peaceful sleep.

"Have you decided on a name?" The doctor holding a clipboard ask them.

"We have." The mother of two nodded with a smile before looking at her new daughter once more, "Genko. Tatsuya Genko."

* * *

You know, reincarnation is… kind of weird. It's hard to describe it; being reborn as another person is bizarre, especially when you still have memories of your past life completely intact, including how you died.

I have never expected my time to come to an end via falling down a flight of stairs and landing at just the right angle to break my neck and ending my life instantly.

Good news, I don't feel any pain. Bad new, it makes the entire experience even more jarring.

And don't get me started on getting born. Oh, that is one memory I am repressing at all cost. Trust me, you won't want such an experience.

For the first couple of months, being a baby is as it is sounds: Boring and super awkward for someone with a maturity of a full-grown adult. I mean, even after I left the hospital, or at least, I think it was a hospital; being a newly born infant usually means bad eyesight, but I'm getting off-topic here, after leaving the hospital, my parents pretty much left me in a crib, with my new mother coming to check on me whenever I'm awake or hungry, or when I need a… Uugh… diaper change…

Speaking of which, being an infant also meant I have little to no self-restraint, with crying being one of the most things I've done for that month next to pooping and peeing. And as an adult, that is really, REALLY embarrassing. I am proud of my restraint from bawling my eyes out whenever I read the part in One Piece about Merry's funeral.

…What?! I get emotional really easily!

Getting back on point, in those two months, I have somewhat gathered on how my new life is going to be.

For one, I'm Japanese, or at least, part Japanese. My new mother, Lisa, is definitely European with the blonde hair and cyan eyes. My new father, Maki or Ma-kun by Lisa, is a full-blood Japanese, with black hair and dark eyes and all that package.

Second, my name is Genko. Or Gen-chan. Either one. And I'm a girl. Which isn't a bad thing considering that I was trans on my past life. I'm so glad that I'm born in the right sex this time.

Third, dear old dad seems to be a vigilante of sorts. I have seen him running out of the house in a rather hero-looking costume that just looks like a parody-version of Jay Garrick's Flash costume. So probably getting into a hostage situation in the near future.

Lastly, I have an older brother named Tetsujin. He seems way older than me, being at least ten years old whenever I see him. And I'm so happy for this!

I was the eldest in my generation in my entire family in my past life, with two younger siblings and cousins, not to mention the kids from my older cousins. I was always the one left with taking care of them during New Years and other family events. Trust me, that is not a fun time.

Now being a younger sibling, THAT I can get behind on! Getting spoiled, blaming the older brother for things he didn't commit, ratting out all his wrong-doings, my list just keeps growing~!

Three months after I was born is when I gain the ability to move about, at least roll over to my stomach at least. Trust me when I say this, I want to get out of my infant phase as quick as I could! The faster I can walk about, the better.

This month is also marked the first time I get to leave the house! In a stroller, anyway, but I finally get to see the world outside! As soon as I got changed, mom finally opened the door for a stroll about the park.

Now, as soon as we start strolling down the neighborhood, there are already warning bells in my head. For starters, the completely unique people that are wandering about. Sure, you have your normal human-human, but then I saw some rather… unique individuals.

People with animal-like heads, people with disproportionate arms, with claws, to even bug-like eyes!

And then, there were advertisements in the billboards all over town with what seems to be costumed heroes promoting products all about. Like actual costumed superheroes!

Then, for the kicker that drives home that bad feeling, is when we passed an electronic store and something played on the TV on display.

You may think that is normal, but it is the content that really shocks me.

It was an interview, on one couch is a reporter dressed in a smart looking black suit. On the other, on the interviewee couch, in a black suit that is strained to the max under his muscular body…

Is All Might.

All Might, as in the fictional character in one of the most entertaining and well-known manga in the recent decade, THAT All Might. The very same one with blonde hair antennas as well as his heroic sounding laugh.

I couldn't process it all, that of ALL the places to be reborn into, I have to be reborn in the universe of My Hero Academia.

…At least my life is going to get interesting.

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **SIOC for the win! Man, I have wanting to write one of these in a very, very long time. Ever since the anime adaption was announced!**

 **So… yeah. New fic, a reincarnation fic no less. When I'm still writing another fic.**

 **I can't help it! This manga is so good and I have this idea in my head as long as the very FIRST season starts airing! So many plans for this… and I planned to write out a decent one with this. Hopefully, I can serve this piece of pie some justice!**

 **So yes, of all things, why a reincarnation fic?**

 **Now that, I like to point to a rather well-written and popular fic in the form of Lamarckian on , a SIOC fic that pretty much gave me the idea on such a fic. The way she/he writes the MC to interact with the world and her influence on the plot is on par of This Bite's idea on One Piece.**

 **That fic gave me an inspiration to write such a fic, as such a fic is the best way to write an OC story on My Hero Academia.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Childhood Friend**

* * *

My Hero Academia, or Boku no Hero Academia as called by the so-called 'elitist', is an amazing manga written by one mangaka that has somehow struck gold on this series. I have followed it since the very first chapter and saw the evolution of the story that is generic but well-executed, to a point that it has reached mainstream popularity, all when it has only 100+ chapters.

The characters are amazing, not to mention the world setting. A time where some kind of x-gene of sorts mutated majority of the world's population which resulted in a world full of superpowered people, that everyone is an X-men. What's to love in that?

And now, I'm born into it. Call me excited is an understatement.

Can you imagine, getting a unique superpower through genetics alone, with no super-soldier experiment, no accidental lightning shocks, no tragic backstory and all that stupid shit. I mean, unless you're in the Marvel universe then your life is going to be racial discrimination tone up to the max to what USA was like in the 1800s.

At any rate, after that stroll of the park and the neighborhood, all of the following days and months blended together. I usually ended up with the same schedule, sleep, eat, play with mom or Tetsu, occasionally with dad; it's a haze of events that changed nothing.

Although, I have found out more about my parents now. For like, my dad's last name was Tatsuya and his Hero name is Hermes, like the Greek messenger god Hermes, and he has a Quirk called Acceleration; which like the name said, is enables him to accelerate himself up to mach 1, but he can only move forward with it. I can sense a theme with him, speed-like Quirk and the wing motif on his costume. And he seems to be quite a popular hero, ranking in the three digits if what I have overheard my brother's conversations with his friends is true.

Speaking of which, my brother starts bringing his friends over from time to time. Or at least, when I'm awake during the time they are around. My nursery is right next to his room, and he and his friends get really loud at times. They seem to always be talking about some random kid stuff, like what's the latest game, or who did what, or even what trading card they manage to get. Speaking of which, I found out that he is actually quirkless, but he seems rather well-liked despite that. I guess just because he is quirkless doesn't mean he would get bullied…

Anyhow, his two friends sometimes come into the nursery to play with me too, or I sometimes got out and ran into the room without them knowing and was just included anyway. Those were fun times, especially when they sometimes try to teach me stuff that I wasn't supposed to know yet and got Tetsu into a lot of trouble. One time, mom got so angry when I said the word 'Fuck' in front of her and Tetsu immediately got a lecture followed by a little shock punishment from her quirk, which is that she can generate static shocks from her fingertips.

And I think dad too got one as well, for some reason.

Speaking of mom, I also found out about her job as a prosecutor. There are times where she asked for a babysitter before heading to court, or sometimes left me with some of her colleagues in at the prosecutor office if the sitter isn't available. I had so many fun times there, like this one time when I was 2 and I was left in the office with this lady who is obviously the newbie who panicked over it and just fuss over me the entire time I was there, and I being the nice person I am decides to help her de-stress by disappearing under tables and freaking her out which leads to a lot of laughs in the office. I got scolded later, but it was worth it!

Speaking of babysitters, I cannot believe who she always calls every time. Of all people to my babysitter, it would be Nemuri Kayama, aka future Midnight! She is different from the manga, considerably younger compared to her adult self plus that student uniform that doesn't look like Yuuei's, but she definitely is the same Midnight as in the manga. And she is surprisingly great as my babysitter, so nice with me and her Quirk really helped with my nap. Not only that, she is also my aunt! She's apparently is dad's cousin, his uncle's kid of all things.

And so, that was my life for my first few years growing up, until when I turned three and my mom decided to enroll me in a daycare.

* * *

My first day at daycare, or kindergarten as my mom puts it, is pretty lonely for me.

The very moment after my introductions and the toddlers are safe and are in free reign to do whatever within the compound, a lot of the kids ran off in all sorts of directions, often away from me.

I can't blame them; my blonde hair does seem to have the tendency to turn people away considering that I have my dad's dark eyes. I guess they've never seen such bright blonde hair before. And speaking of my hair, it has grown quite long over the years. Despite many protests from her, I had Mom trimmed them from time to time, but she often left it in a small bob surrounding my face.

In any case, I ended up spending that morning alone with a picture book in my hands. Not that I have any problems with that, my mental age is at least of a twenty-over adult after all, but I guess I was hoping for some company to talk to. Guess I'll be alone for the rest of my time here.

"Hi!" At least that was what I thought until he shows up. A boy walks up to me with a bright grin on his face with dark brown hair and black eyes, "I'm Taikou! What your name?"

"Genko."

"Want to play?"

And with that, Naru Taikou became my very first friend in life.

We would hang out all the time, played all sorts of game and even got into a sleepover at his house sometimes. It turns out that his parents died when he was born, and he is currently being cared for by his uncle who is the land-owner for a small apartment building a couple streets down from where my house is.

He also has a making of a huge hero geek, considering all his shirts and pants has all sorts of homage to all the known heroes, with All Might being the most prominent of all. He even has action figures for all the top heroes, birthday gifts he got from the tenants of the apartment.

We were inseparable from each other, where one goes the other will follow suit.

Hell, we even found out what our Quirks are at the same time! It was a really interesting story that was…

* * *

It was my fourth birthday and the two of us are at his place that evening for a party with both our families celebrating with some of the tenants participating as well. I was finishing my slice of cake while Taikou is in his room getting his gift for me when I heard my mom's phone ringing. She has left her purse on the table when she went to the bathroom.

I decided to help take it to her, so I went against her rules of not rummaging through her bag and fish out her phone for her. But the very moment I rushes off to deliver it, it happened. I suddenly speed forward and slams my head right onto a wall hard. The noise of the party just stopped, as I sat on the floor and rub my sore forehead in pain.

My dad immediately rushes to my side to check on me, "Are you alright, Genko-chan?"

"Owie… that hurts…"

"What happened?" Taikou's uncle, Naru Kumori asked worriedly.

"I don't know. Mom's phone was ringing and I want to bring it to her, but then I ran really fast and…"

Dad took the phone from my hands to check on it, before his brow scrunched up in confusion, "Huh? Are you sure it was ringing; the battery is dead."

"Eh? But it was ringing!"

"What's this about my phone?" Mom walks up to us wiping her hands with a tissue.

"Honey, did you leave your phone uncharged before coming here?" He asked her.

She looked at him confused, "No, it was fully charged when I got here and I haven't used it since the party started."

"Well, it's dead now." He raised the black screen of her phone for her to see.

"That can't…" She turns to me slightly angry, "Were you playing on it again?"

"No! I wasn't!" I cried out, "I was just taking your phone out of your bag and then I ran really fast and slams into the wall and-"

"Wait, you touched the phone THEN ran really fast?" She asked, I nodded in reply. Reaching into her purse, mom took out a button battery and placed it in my hand, "Do you feel anything?"

The very moment the nickel dry cell touches my palm, something definitely was different. A slight tingly feeling floods my entire body from the tip of my toes to the crest of my head, as my body felt really energized and I reacted by running forward in which my surroundings immediately changed into a blur before I felt my forehead impacting hard on the wall hard.

I think I blacked out for a second as I collapsed on the ground confused as my parents immediately rushes to my aid, before sudden realization fills my mind with excitement. Is this…? Could this be my quirk?! I have a quirk!

And apparently, I wasn't the only one as the smell of smoke fills the room before a sudden cry caught all out that caught everyone's attention. Near the walkway, there stood Taikou with a badly wrapped box raised high above his head while his legs are on fire. Like blazing flames are licking his bare feet!

Of course, Kumori took action immediately and grabs him by the armpits and dunk his legs into the sink where he starts running tap water in hopes of putting the flames out while a few tenants plus my dad tries to put out the small embers of flames left on the wooden floor where he once stood. Let's just say it took quite a long while before the fire died away and he got me his gift, which is a limited-edition All Might plushie that was on said a couple of weeks ago that sold out for the very same day it is released.

The very next day, we pretty much caused mayhem in the daycare center as we tries to experiment with our quirks that lead to lot of unintended damages, and a very long lecture from the daycare's manager as well as from my mother on our way home.

Most fun we ever had.

But, like all good things eventually, it all came to an end suddenly one day when I turned five.

* * *

It was just another normal day for me and my best friend. Playing and learning at the daycare, causing a bit of trouble with our quirks unintentionally via Taikou accidentally ignites his feet when he sneezes. And then, it was evening and everyone left home with their parents except for me.

I waited to almost dusk when Nemuri rushes up to me with a worried look on her face to my confusion. Usually it would be mom or Tetsu who would fetch me from the daycare, sometimes dad if he was lucky with his schedule, but Nemuri never came to fetch me herself before.

"Nemuri-san, where's mom?" I asked worriedly on our way home.

"Genko-chan, your mom…" She swallowed a little before continuing, "Your father suffered a rather bad injury during work, and is in the hospital for-"

"Hospital?!" That doesn't sound good! What happened to him?! "I-Is dad…?" I choked up from the tears that are threatening to spill as I tries to hold myself together. I keep forgetting that my body now is that of a five-year-old kid, self-restraint isn't visible at this age, but even with my adult body I probably wouldn't be able to hold back my tears either. My father, the man that raised me is in the hospital for a bad injury, that in all accords could be lethal!

"H-He's fine!" My aunt assures me the best she could, "Probably… at any rate, you'll be staying with me tonight. We'll visit your dad first thing tomorrow morning, okay?"

"O-Okay…"

The very next morning, my entire life changed forever.

When we went to visit dad in the hospital, he isn't in the best of shapes. For starters, he is alive and well, which is huge relief; but…

"I'm sorry, Tatsuya-san." The doctor tells Maki on his bed with a huge cast over his right leg, "But I'm afraid your hero career is over."

As it turns out, whatever happened to my dad pretty much shattered his knee-joint, ripping the ligaments to the point that it became unrepairable. He could still walk, a surgery to insert a metal joint in-place of the shredded ligament was successful, but even with physical therapy, he probably wouldn't be able to walk as he used to; not to mention that he couldn't stress the metal joint with any rigorous work.

All in all, it is end of the hero Hermes.

The next few weeks were… tense to say the least.

Dad is placed on light-duty as he works things out with his hero agency, but he always has this defeated look in his eyes, not the ones that he always had before. He keeps looking at the closet where his old uniform is kept, and sometimes he just surfs the television channels until he just tosses the remote away in anger.

Dad is just… not dad anymore.

He just lays about on the couch, occasionally on his bed, doing nothing. He lost that determined look, that hardy smile he always shows me; now he rarely smiles anymore, just a lot of shouting from time to time.

It got to a point where my mom and dad are constantly arguing every night, almost always about the same thing over and over and over again. They were so loud that I couldn't sleep at all, just laying on my bed covering my ears in hope of blocking it all out.

I hate this! I hate them yelling! I hate him for shouting all the time! I want my dad back! I want him back!

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Done! Chapter two finish! So, tragedy struck! I mean, of course it is going to happen, it's an anime! It is bound to happen one way or the other.**

 **So, the Naru family! Another OC with my OC. I was originally planned to have one of the main cast be acquainted with Genko, but none of them seems to fit so Taikou is born! Now, I'll explain more about their quirks in future chapters soon, so be patient!**

 **Also, just to fanboy a little here, TheRealEvanSG reviewed my work! Oh I never thought the day would come would someone like him review little old me! Oh you would not believe the excitement I got when I received it! Thank you, honestly, it is a real honor to be reviewed by you!**

 **On the same tangent, I cannot believe that the writer of Lamarckian actually favourite this too! Please, check her fic out on , I guarantee it would be worth your time!**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: A Dream for the Future**

Taikou knows something is wrong when his best friend returned to the daycare with a sulky face.

Unlike the usual days of her running up to him with a big smile and a plan of mischief in mind, nowadays she just walked to a corner and sat down, hugging onto one of the plushies nearby.

Ever since that faithful day, when Genko was picked up late, she has been really quiet. She wouldn't go outside to play, only hide in a corner either hugging onto the plushie all quiet-like, or reading a picture book in silence. No matter how he tries to persuade her, she would not budge, often asking him to play without her.

This isn't right. Genko is supposed to laugh and run around with him, come up with new fun games to play with; not sit and read all day long!

What she needs is some cheering up!

And with Christmas' eve coming soon, he knows exactly what to do!

* * *

My dad's sulking period lasted for several months. During that time, he is pretty much jobless since his forced retirement from the hero business after officially handed the reins to one of his sidekicks and we are mostly running on our savings as well as on mom's earnings from any court cases she wins which leads to her rarely able to stay at home anymore, to a point which she rarely came back at all.

Tetsu seems to have started working part-time to try and support us the best he could, at least that is what I assumed is why he started working in the first place; where at he worked he did not mention, or I didn't catch it, leaving the house often empty and very quiet. At this point, I spent most of my nights at home with dad alone, and he is becoming a very different man, less like the father I once knew and into a complete stranger.

So much has changed so fast, and even with my speedy quirk I can't catch up.

But then… All that changed one day when there's a surprise visitor to my home.

It was a cold winter afternoon on the weekend, the day before Christmas eve; mom is still hadn't returned home from work and Tetsu is working a shift at his part-time job leaving me at home with dad, again. I had planned to call Taikou to come over to play, but his family seems to be really busy that day so he can't come.

That left me to entertain myself in my room with a picture book with my beloved All-Might plushie (It's the first present Taikou got me so I'm taking really good care of it!), as the living room is occupied by dad and I just don't want to see him. I was busy reading a picture book, when the doorbell rang a few times. It can't be mom or Tetsu since they have the key so it's either Nerumi, which is very unlikely considering that she has officially started her career as a hero last year or is that door-to-door salesperson that patrol this part of the neighborhood trying to sell us some kind of subscription of some sort.

I, being the curious person that I am, decides to take a look as I peeked out into the living room to see who it is. Dad got up from the couch and with an aid of a walking stick, walks up to the door to look through the peephole for a second. He then backs off almost hesitantly before gingerly opening the door.

There by the doorway stood an elderly-looking man with short greying hair in a business suit, who just stares at dad before letting out a gruff, "What? Not even a new years' greeting?"

"W-What are you doing here, Dad?" Dad asked the man much to my hushed surprise. Dad? That means… that's my grandfather? I didn't even know I have a grandfather!

"A father can't visit his own son?" The elderly man asked with a sigh, "But honestly, I wanted to see if you are doing well. Your mother and I have seen the news, we know what happened."

"I… see…."

"Aren't you going to invite me in? It's really chilly today and I have come quite a long way." My grandfather eyes suddenly meet mine and I quickly hid behind the wall on reflex. "And who may that young lady be?"

"Young lady-Genko?" Dad's voice calls me out as I flinched a little before swallowing my spit and walks out into their line of sight.

"Morning, dad… Good day to you, sir." I greet him gingerly bowing slightly as of the proper Japanese etiquette that was pounded right into me by mom. She can be really persuasive with that shock quirk of hers…

"Maki, is this polite little girl your daughter?" The elderly man asked curiously, "She's definitely grown a lot since I last saw her."

Huh? Did he come here before? I would have noticed an unusual old man in the house before.

Then again… being a toddler does have some issues with memories sticking.

"So? Are you going to leave an old man out in the cold or are you going let me in?"

* * *

After dad invited him in, we are properly introduced. Turns out he is indeed my grandfather, one Takaya Tsubasa, and he stayed in Hosu City with my grandmother working at the local college as a lecturer of sorts. His primary topics are usually to do with history, mostly from the few decades since the very start of this 'Era of the Weird' as does some historian labelled the present. And it turns out he DID come to visit a couple of times, once during my first birthday and another during new years' when I was two.

He even shows off his quirk, named 'Screen View', where he is able to copy any picture and projects it onto any surface.

He was telling me more about our family, like the fact that we apparently came from a line of scholars and astrologists that goes as far back as the Heian period, when dad finally walked towards us balancing a tray with a few cups of tea with his spare hand as he limps his way onto the dining table. "I know you are particular about your tea, but instant is all we have around the house."

"Anything warm is good enough." Tsubasa stated sipping the cup as I blow a bit before taking a sip and regretting it as the hot drink burns my tongue. He chuckles as he pets my head while I nurse my poor tongue before turning to my dad, "So, how's being a retired hero treating you?"

"It's… good, I suppose?" Maki stated with a sigh, "I mean, no more late hours, I get to sleep the day away, not to mention not needing to be so worried about a public image anymore…"

"Maki."

"…Yeah, it's not that great…" My father conceded to grandpa's glare, "I just… it's pissing me off!" He slams his fist on the table nearly knocking the cups over as I steadied my own cup the best I could, "I'm useless now! I don't have any other way to make a living besides being a hero and it's weighting on our finances hard! I just…! GAR!"

Wait, that's why he's so sulky the past few months?! All because he felt useless?! That's a stupid thing to be angry about!

Tsubasa sips his cup before stating out, "You could have called us, Maki. We were worried sick."

"I know! I know! It's just…" Maki groaned rubbing his palm down his face, "I didn't want to be a burden to you guys too…"

"Maki, I would never consider you a burden." The elderly man tells him, "We have followed your exploits on TV, you know. I even boast to the neighbors sometimes, nearly got called to the station for noise pollution too." He chuckles at the memory as I raised my eyebrow at his behavior, "But then we heard about the report on your injury and… well, once I found a free day in my schedule, here I am. It's the least I can do to ease your poor mother's heart little."

"Sorry to have you guys worry so much." He said before I saw his hand moving to his legs, "It was bad, I could walk but I could not do hero work ever again. It's torture, to stay in the sidelines like this."

"I know. You were always an adventurous child, almost caused me and your mother quite a few heart attacks with your actions."

"He did?" I asked my grandfather curiously with a grin on my face. Oh, the amount of blackmail I can get out of him…

"Oh yes! There's this one time where-"

"Whoa, whoa! No telling my kids my embarrassing past!" Maki cried out in fear.

"Hahaha, that's the job of a grandfather, is it not?" Tsubasa chuckles as he pats my head to my glee, "But back to the topic, I bet you are stuck at home without being able to do anything, correct?"

"Don't need you to remind me of that…" He groaned, "The past few months have been really bad… I was really bad… It's like me and Lisa are…"

Understatement of the year… He was always fighting with mom over a lot of dumb shit, and mom is kind of acting distant from him, from me and Tetsu too. I'm just hoping that they would work it out soon, I don't want our family to split up… especially because of such a stupid reason as self-loathing.

"Well, I have a proposal for you." The elderly man tells my dad, "You see, I am great friends with principal Nezu of Yuuei, great guy he is, and he has been needing a few more teachers for the Hero Course as of late. Especially ones who have experience in the field and been in it as long as you have."

"Are you… suggesting that I become a teacher? At my old school no less?" Maki stated in surprise, "That's rather sudden! I mean, I don't even have a teaching license!"

"Well, you don't need one, just a certificate to make it official." Tsubasa tells him, "The Hero Course teachers are usually heroes who are previously on active duty before transferring to the desk job, or retired ones due to… um… certain situations… If you are willing to try, I can put out a word on your behalf."

"…He's the one that sent you." My dad's eyes widen in realization.

"Guilty as charged; but to be fair, he sent his request once I'm on the train."

"Why would-I'm not the teacher type!" He cried out, "What on god names would he think I would be suitable for that?!"

"He figured you will say that." Grandpa pulls out his phone and what I assumed to be speed-dialing someone, "So he specifically asked me to call him when I told you."

He places the smartphone on the table in front of Maki; a few rings later before it is picked up and a really familiar voice spoke out, "Tsubasa, I take it he didn't receive the news well?"

I let out a small squeal of excitement when I hear him talk. Oh my god, that's the exact same voice as the one in the actual anime! Not only that, it sounds a lot cuter!

"Yup. I take it that you are taking over?"

"Of course." Nezu spoke out before a short cough later, "Am I speaking to Tatsuya Maki right now?"

"Yes, sir." Maki noted with a bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Principal Nezu. I have heard of great things from-"

"Now, now. No need for all of that. Let's just get to the point." The voice spoke as he continues, "Maki-kun, you do not believe that you are worthy of dealing in an educator's role, am I right?"

"Yes, sir. I honestly don't see how you think I am in the first place." My dad noted, "I mean, even in my own agency I was hardly in a mentor role. I am not the teaching type."

"I beg to differ." Nezu stated as a rustling of paper can be heard from the phone, "I have with me right now is a few examples of your teaching suitability. Let's see here: Middle School, Second Year; teachers have reported of you helping most of your schoolmates in studies, often leading to an overall increase in that year's academic average."

"W-Well, that was just a one-time thing-"

"Your previous affiliation, the Idaten Hero Agency: You were always the one Ingenium places in-charge of training any new recruits to the agency, and they all performed better at their work even after they break off to create their own agency. You also seem to have tutored his sons a few times before."

"T-That was all them. I just helped them along…"

"And your sidekicks. You may not be aware, but you have helped them in a lot of things. They have mentioned all those advices you gave out willingly several times before?"

"Okay, those were just throw away lines. I didn't even think about-"

"That's the thing." Nezu interrupted, "You never think about it too much and you understood what need to be said the most. Whether it was harsh and cold, or comforting and warm, you always manage to help them out. If that aren't qualities of a good teacher, I don't know what is."

"B-But, sir! I…"

I felt a hand on my shoulder, Tsubasa look down on me with a smile, "Why don't we step aside for a moment?"

With that, we both left the dining table and went to living room to watch tv.

* * *

Tsubasa stayed until late in the evening, just as Mom returned from work for the first time in weeks. She was as shocked as Dad when she saw Tsubasa is sitting on the couch with me on his lap watching a game show on TV sharing a large bag of potato chips that I wasn't allowed to eat before dinner.

After a few pleasantries with a decline to stay for dinner, my grandfather left our house.

Tetsu returned an hour later and for the first time in months, we are all eating at same table. How long has it been since mom cooked dinner? It feels like forever since I've eaten her cooking. I missed this, family should eat together after all.

A minute of quiet eating with sounds of chopsticks and spoons, Dad places his chopsticks and half-eaten bowl of rice down onto the table.

"Lisa." He suddenly spoke up getting our undivided attention, "This is delicious."

"…?"

…Dad? What is he doing…?

"I…" He took a deep breath in and out before speaking, "I want to say I'm sorry. For all the times I've yelled at you. I… I was frustrated about everything… and I lashed out. I know that you hate me now, and that it doesn't mean much after this long but… I just want to say I'm sorry. Sorry for being a jerk, for being a terrible husband."

"Ma-kun…" Mom put down her chopsticks in surprise, "I would never hate you… I'm your wife, I love you with all my heart. I wouldn't have married you otherwise."

"…Lisa…Thank you…" Dad sighs a little before turning to face her, his eyes now having some glint of life in them again, "I have an announcement to make."

"Announcement? About what?" She asked curiously.

"I'm becoming a teacher in Yuuei."

I never thought I could see a jaw dropped to far down before tonight, and to witness a spit-take first-hand as I got sprayed on the face by my brother who is drinking his miso soup when dad sprung the news.

"You're becoming a teacher?!" Tetsu screams out in shock while I try to wipe away the soup from my face with my shirt.

"Why… this is so… so… so sudden…!" Mom stutters out before turning to my dad, "Why the sudden career change?"

"You know that dad visited this afternoon, right?" He points out, getting a nod in reply, "Well, he came here on a request of Yuuei's Headmaster. And he has asked me to join his board of teachers in Yuuei."

"Principal Nezu ask you?!" My brother shouted.

"Yes, and after some talking, I decided to accept his invitation." He explained, "I have to go for a short course to get a certificate that he has applied for me, but once that is done, I'm an official teacher for Yuuei High."

"A-And you didn't come to discuss with us WHY?!"

"Tetsu, calm down." Mom tells my brother, who sheepishly sits down, "Dear, you know you should have discussed it with us first. Yuuei is quite a distance from here, and you are in no condition to for long distance travel. The doctor has stated-"

"I know what the doctor stated, Lisa." Dad stated with a sigh, "But not to worry. I still my driver license, remember? I can just drive there, problem solved!"

"But I need that car, Maki." Mom points out, "My office is in at least several stations away, so I can't just take the train, not to mention-"

The little debate went on for several minutes, most of the dishes are almost room temperature because of it so I decided to just finish my dinner and head back to my room. When tomorrow morning came, they have come to an agreement for them to share the vehicle until dad is able to find another form of transportation that DOESN'T agitate his knee.

And then, that morning on Christmas Eve, I got my biggest turning point in my life.

* * *

It was just a normal day in the daycare, mom drops me off before driving dad to his class the next district over.

Once I am ushered in, I decides to seek Taikou out. I had been quite a grump the past few months, and I want to apologize to him for ignoring him. I have already come up with a cool game we could play that involves heroes, I call it hero freeze tag!

"Taikou! Where are you?" I called out, hoping to get an answer in return.

But, with the exception of the other kids playing about, there is no reply. I run all over, looking in the sandbox, in the bushes, near the plushie mountain (Yes, I call it that. Don't judge me.), but no sign of him. Hm? Maybe he's not here yet? That's strange. He usually reaches the daycare way before me. So, what gives?

"Ah! Genko!"

As if answering all my questions, I hear his voice shouting across the room as he ran out from the balcony towards me with a large bundle of wrapping paper in his hands, the bundle half his height and size.

"Taikou!" I greeted with a smile as I run up to him with a hug, "Sorry for being a grump. Want to play? I've come up with this cool new game that-"

"That can wait! Take a look at this!" He grins as he puts the bundle down in front of me. "Open it!"

I looked at him confused, his grins widening before I sheepishly opens the large bundle as carefully as possible. Once all the wrapping paper is mostly tear off, my eyes nearly widen in surprise at what is inside. Inside all that paper is a plushie, but not just any plushie. A plushie of Hermes in his full costume glory. From his hat to his boots, everything looks exactly like the hero my dad once was, all in its beautiful chibi style.

"T-Taikou… this is…?"

"One of the tenants knows how to sew, so I ask her to help make this!" He explained with a grin, "Took a little bargaining, but she just manages to finish it this morning! Do you like it?!"

I am lost in words, the very symbol of my dad's old glory days is in my hands, of the best days before the accident. I couldn't do anything besides hug the thing with all the might I can muster, tears already leaking from my eyes.

"A-Ah?! W-Why are you crying?! I-I thought you'll be happy if-"

"I am happy, Taikou." I manages to smile, "I love this so much! Thank you, Taikou!"

"…" Taikou looks at me with a slight blush, before grinning back, "No need!"

"Cool plushie!"

The little commotion has attracted the other toddlers in the daycare towards us, where everyone is all staring at my gift. One after another, they all start asking about it and who it is, which I happily obliged with explaining it all.

Then, one of them says…

"He looks so cool!"

That phrase echoes in my mind a little. Yeah, dad was really cool, wasn't he? He is my idol, the hero with coolest pose and sense of justice. People may see All Might as the greatest hero ever but to me? Tatsuya Maki, the Fast Wind Hero: Hermes will always be the greatest. The image of him in his costume has always been a standard for me, but now he may never wear that suit again.

And it hit me.

I have a similar quirk, don't I? If dad can't be a Hero anymore, why not me? I'll cover for him! The hero Hermes will return with me! I'll become dad's successor!

With that, my goal is set. I'll become a Hero! One that would make the name Hermes proud!

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **There! Finally finished! Sorry it took so long, I was dealing with a writer's block about this chapter, as this is the biggest turning point for Genko's life. And I need to give it some proper justice!**

 **Okay, the whole Maki becoming a teacher? That was my goal from the start. Most of the teachers in Yuuei are Pro Heroes who have changed their day job from civil servants to educator, so I have a thought. How about having one of them being a Hero that is retired from one due to unforeseen circumstances? And Maki's little drama is born.**

 **For those who see Maki and Lisa little reconcilement a bit rushed, I apologised if it seems so. I have never wrote a couple writing like this, not to mention writing one about a near divorce state. If anyone has any ideas on how write one better in the future, I would love to know.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Entrance Exam**

I knock on the wooden door a few times as quickly as I could before stepping back. I bounced on the spot in excitement anxiously waiting for the owner to open, which he did as good old uncle Kemuri is standing there in his boxers and tank top with a toothbrush in his mouth.

"Morning, Kemuri-ojisan!"

"Oh, hey, Gen-chan." He greeted with a small tired smile, "You're early today."

"It's the entrance exam today!" I tells him as I struggles to stand still from the anxiousness that is bubbling inside of me, "And I want to make sure Taikou doesn't be late for it! Like those time in Junior High! No way I'm letting him miss this!"

"Glad that he has you as his friend, Gen-chan." He chuckles, "But your worries are unfounded. He's actually just finished breakfast when you came in. I'm the one just woke up."

"Oh! Then is he ready to go?!"

"Still changing, I believe. Want to wait inside for him?"

"Sure!"

Many years have passed since that faithful Christmas Eve, almost ten years in fact. Time almost flew passed me as I entered and graduated elementary school and is now in my final year in Junior High.

It's not that it was boring in them, quite the opposite in fact.

Elementary school classes were a breeze for me, with my mind still one of an adult at this point in time, with exceptions in Japanese Language and History. Can't make sense of the crazy amounts of their writing system at all. Why do we need three different writing system for the same words?! But I still manage to ace most of my classes regardless.

Taikou, on the other hand, has a little trouble. I wouldn't call him dumb, he got A's from time to time, but he definitely isn't the time to study earnestly. If anything, he is more of a social butterfly of a guy. He's the type of person who is always amongst a group, whether they are just his classmates or simple acquaintances. There's never a day in school where he isn't alone, with exceptions being very rare in between.

It may have put a little strain on our friendship, but we are still stuck together like glue.

Even in Junior High, where it usually ends up being used in teenage dramas, which we never got involved in, thankfully.

He is quite a popular one once he reaches, with a few girls who keep pestering me to put in a good word for them and even asked me about his preferences in woman. Most of them I just tell them to just ask him out for once, which some actually did but was rejected by him. I continued to ace my classes as usual, which people often asking me for study groups and advice on their homework too as I predicted as much.

What I could not predict were the rumors about me and Taikou. Like we are dating since elementary, or that there's this love drama between us that is just waiting to be resolved. Most of them false, of course, but just the thought of them even suggesting such a thing between us just rubs me off the wrong way.

Like, come on, do we even look like a couple at all?

Speaking of looks, we both has grown quite a bit over the years.

Puberty has hit me like a truck, as my figure has slowly started to fill in by the time I graduated elementary school. I'm not going to reveal my three sizes, but let's just say I've inherited more than my hair color from mom. I have to change bra sizes at least ten times by the time I turned 15! And I'm still growing! My hair is still in its bob, but mom manages to convince me to keep it at least shoulder length. Most of my baby fat is gone now (I think some flowed to my boobs), leaving my face slightly angled.

Taikou too has grown quite a bit over the years, he shooting pass me in our second year. He is now a good few inches taller than me, which still bugs me a little, and he has all lost his baby fat on his face. His voice deepened a little but not so much and his hair is now in a more manageable bush on his head with spiky ends that made him look almost like a shounen manga protagonist. If he has whiskers on his cheeks, I would be calling me Naruto all day!

I manage to finish my cup of tea that Kemuri has made for me when Taikou bursts into the living room in his black school gakuran with a wooly jacket under his arm, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"About time!" I stated excitedly as I places the cup back on the coffee table and picks up my backpack and dark red jacket, "Come on! We won't want to keep Shinsou waiting!"

"Bet he is already there, by now." He commented as we put on our shoes, mine a pair blue and yellow slip-on sports-shoe and him a couple of black sandals , "Race you!"

"You're on!"

We rush out the door, saying our farewells to uncle Kemuri on our way out, before running out into the streets.

* * *

If you are wondering why we are in such a rush today, it's because it's the day of the entrance exam for Yuuei High! The day which would seal our fates as future heroes-to-be!

We had been working on our quirks in preparation for this day, coming up with new tricks and ways to use them as a Hero. On weekends, we would train using them, under supervision of course. Aunt Nemuri was generous enough to lend us some of her time to watch over our training whenever she can't, and we even found a small abandoned lot to practice in too!

I sure hope all those practices would pay off. It would be disappointing to work so hard only to fail in the end.

"Nervous?" I asked Taikou as we walk through the campus' courtyard.

"Very." He nodded.

"Think we'll make the cut?"

"Hope so."

"Same here."

"Well, you two would definitely made it in, with the quirks you have."

We both turned to the third member of our little circle of friends, one Hitoshi Shinsou.

When I first met that purple haired boy, it was during our first year in Junior High. We are in the same class and he was my seat neighbor, but we rarely talk to each other. That was until one day when I lost my pen and he decided to lend me one of his. To repay him, I offer to treat him to some sweets after school, and we both hit off from there. Since then, he joins me and Taikou whenever he could and we became the best of friends ever since.

However, he always seems to have a complex about his own quirk when compared to mine and Taikou, and tends to bring that up every once in a while, for no real reason, despite what we have told him countless times over.

"Come on, Shinsou! Don't bring that up again." I tell him as we slowed to a stop with me facing him and patting on his shoulder, "I'm sure your quirk will be great for a hero!"

"Besides, we don't know how the entrance exam is going to be." Taikou assures him, "For all we know, it could be one perfectly suited for a quirk like yours!"

"Maybe…"

"Move it, extras!"

I then sudden got violently shoved aside, I turning to retaliate at the guy. That dude who just rudely pushed is this blonde-haired teen whose hair is even out of control compared to Taikou and even Shinsou's own bed-hair, and a really bad scowl on his brows.

You know, he looks really familiar…

Where did I meet him before…?

"Hey! You can't just do that!" Taikou shouted at him, who he proceeds to ignore as he continues to walk towards the campus, "I'm talking to you, dammit! Apologize first!"

"Just leave it, Taikou." I tell him with a sigh, "He's probably as nervous as we are."

"Damn rude-ass bastard…" I hear him grumble as we entered the campus proper.

* * *

"WELCOME TO TODAY'S LIVE PERFORMANCE! EVERYONE, SAY 'HEY!'!"

"…"

"…"

I rubbed my ringing ears as the presenter of the exam, one Present Mic announces his presence to the entire examinees in the auditorium and getting dead silence in response. I turn to Taikou on my left, who too is digging into his ear, and we share a same look of sheer disbelieve before turning back to the Voice Hero. This isn't something I was expecting after the written exam, especially before the practical exam. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the Pro Hero. Me and Taikou, even Shinsou begrudgingly, follows on the blonde man's radio show now and then whenever we have free time, and enjoyed every minute of it.

What we didn't expect is that loud personality is his _actual_ personality.

"WELL, THAT'S COOL, MY LISTENERS!" He continues uninterrupted, "I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE GUIDELINES OF THE PRACTICAL EXAM! ARE YOU READY?! YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAH!"

"…"

"…"

"I was NOT expecting this." Shinsou noted.

"Seconded." I nodded.

"Thirded." Taikou agrees.

"This is how the test will go, my dear listeners!" The blonde hero explains as the screen behind him lit up to show a simple diagram with seven boxes labeled from A to G branching out from the large one, "You all will be experiencing ten-minute-long 'Mock Cityscape Maneuvers'! Bring along whatever you want! After this presentation, you'll each head for the assigned testing location! OKAY?!"

I check the card they passed to us after the written exam; I'm assigned to area B. I nudged Taikou and shows mine, pointing at the area on it, "I'm at B. You?"

"A. What about you, Shinsou?"

"G." His quick reply before turning back to face the front.

Damn, so none of us are in the same area. I was looking forward for some combo action with Taikou. Guess I'll have to go solo on this one.

The screen behind Present Mic changes again to… wait, is that Super Mario Bros?! Do they even have the copyright to do that?! "Each site is filled with three kinds of Faux Villains. Points are rewarded for defeating each one according to their difficulty levels! Use your quirks to disable these Faux Villains and earn points! It's as simple as that! By the by, playing Anti-Hero and attacking a fellow examinee is a big no-no!"

"May I ask a question?!" One of the examinees on one of the bottom rows stood up with arm raised, Present Mic gestures him to continue which he did rather loudly, "In the handouts we are given, there are FOUR types of villains, not THREE! Such a blatant error, if it is one, is highly unbecoming for Yuuei! We're all here today in the hopes of being molded into model Heroes! And YOU, the one with the curly hair!" He points at the student the row below me, "You've been muttering this whole time. It is distracting! If you think this is some kind of game, then please leave at once!"

"Y-Yes! S-Sorry…" He apologized as a few students next to him snickers at his predicament.

I pity the poor dude, he looks like kicked-puppy now… "I've heard of super-serious model students, but he takes the cake." Taikou commented.

But now that I notice him, he looks strikingly familiar… Like I'm supposed to know who he is but is coming up blank…

"Alright, alright, settle down! Nice catch there, examinee 7111!" Present Mic noted, "You see, the fourth variety isn't worth a single point! He's more of an obstacle you have to work around! Ever played that retro game, Super Mario? It's like a Thwomp! There's one at each site; a 'gimmick' that will rampage around in closed quarters!"

"Thank you, sir!" The stiff student bowed, "Sorry for the interruption!"

Okay, I think I know the main strategy here. Find 'villains', destroy it, avoid the zero-pointer, rinse and repeat till time runs out. Simple enough.

"That's all from me! I'll leave my listeners with our school motto!" The blonde hero calls out, "The great Hero Napolean Bonaparte once said: [True Heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life.] Go Beyond, Plus Ultra! Break a leg, everyone!"

As the students are ushered out of the auditorium, I turned to Taikou, then Shinsou, and with a smile raises both my thumbs up, "Wish you all luck!"

"Heh, likewise." My childhood friend smirks with a thumbs-up in return.

"Hm." Shinsou nodded.

* * *

After a change of clothes and a bus ride later, I stood in front of the large gate in my grey shirt and navy trackpants. I stared at my fellow examinees, noting the extremely varied of people to the slightly unique to the crazily over-the-top. The large one with three pair of arms caught my attention rather quickly too, but not just because he has three pair of arms. He looks really familiar.

Man, I'm getting such feelings from all over the place today.

The mumbling crowd starts to talk about themselves while pointing at this one guy, the same guy that is being lectured by the super-serious guy.

Poor dude… that will do your nerves no good…

"AAAAAANNNND… START!"

"Hm?" Wait, what?

"What's wrong?!" Present Mic's voice echoes in our ears, "The test has already started! Run, run, RUN!"

That caught my attention as I quickly dig into my pocket and took out a button battery, clenching it tightly as I feel the electricity flow through my body. And just as the other examinees start to react, I rocket passed all of them and into the simulated city before they even start running.

Passing a few blocks, I turn a corner just as what I assumed is a one-pointer robot, what is basically a one-wheeled zaku-looking thing with a large metal claw on one arm while the other wields what seems to be a tank barrel. It's camera swerves to face me, its firearm-arm aim straight me and fired. Thankfully, I'm still have enough charge to dodge the explosive shell easily before slipping close to it and press my two hands on it; instantly I felt the additional electricity flow into me and the robot falls limp and dropped onto the concrete floor, motionless.

Man, this test is perfect for my quirk.

You see, my quirk is nicknamed Elec Muscle. I have the ability to absorb electricity, as long my whole hand is touching the electrical source. It doesn't have to be an open wire or a battery, as long it is something that runs of electricity, I can absorb just by touching it. It is a bit of a pain to live with, considering that I might accidentally drain my phone's battery every time I touches it, but I've figured a way around it.

Once I have a charge, I can use that power to speed my body's movements up to 100 miles an hour! Not as fast as dad's Mach 1, but plenty fast!

Back to the test, after getting a recharge and a boost from the robot, I turn just in time to saw another of its buddy charging towards me with a few more of its comrades behind, this time several two-pointers and a large three-pointer tank-looking thing. Thinking fast, pun fully intended, I pick out a path and with a quick dash and a few leaps and hops, I am able to suck all of their charge before landing on the large tank and starts draining the sucker dry.

That is of course interrupted when I just notice a one-pointer coming right towards me with its metal claw out to tear into me. I was about to move out of the way when I hear something.

Is that… engine noises?

Just as I thought that, that super-serious guy lands a flying kick right into the robot with his engine-propelled foot, smashing it into pieces. I starts to feel my draining trickle down and I leaped off the tank, as it sputters and cease moving.

"Thanks for the assist!" I call out to him, he simply nodded before running off; the trail of smoke in his wake.

I leap right back into the test, mentally calculating my total points to at least 15, running down the simulated streets to find more bots.

I soon reach a crossing where a few robots are dueling against the other examinees, one of whom has not noticed a three-pointer is about to drop onto him! Without thinking too much, I charge right at him, tackling him out of the way just as the tank crashes down right where he was standing.

We both stare at the fallen robot for a brief moment, before we got up, the guy turns to me with a sharp-toothed grin, "Thanks! Didn't saw that!"

"Don't mention it! Good luck with the test!" With those last words, I dash away and leap onto one of the two-pointers to start sucking the electricity out of it.

It must have been more than five minutes since the start of the exam, and I have taken out at least ten more robots by then, bringing my points up to at least 32 by now. I barely able to dodge a barrage of what I hoped are rubber bullets from a one-pointer's minigun, which I then lunged towards and swings a kick right at its 'head', breaking the camera off of it. I then grab the wires that are sticking out and feels the increase charge flowing into my body.

Just as I finishes draining the robot, I felt the ground shake. Turning around, I strain my neck to look up as a titan-looking robot has emerged out of nowhere and starts wrecking the buildings and streets it comes into contact with. Wait, that thing matches the silhouette of the zero-point robot from the handouts. That's the obstacle we have to avoid?!

Snapping myself out of the trance when I felt the shockwave of its attack against the street, I let go of the wires and book it. As much as fighting a giant robot seems fun on TV, dealing with one the size of skyscraper is not worth dying to try!

And then, when I was a good distance away, I heard a loud bang, one like when a hammer slams into a metal plate. I turn around, just to see the zero-pointer slowly falling back with a large dent in it's square face as explosions erupted from all over its body. In the distance, right in the air where the titan's head used to be is this one person.

The very same person that was muttering and shaking in the beginning.

Are you kidding me?! That nervous-wreck was that kind of powerhouse?!

I was left in awe of the spectacle, before I notices something wrong.

That guy is falling.

And he is not stopping himself!

"Not good!" I dashes right towards the falling robot, his silhouette falling down by the minute as I using most of my charge to try and make it to him. Just as he is about three meters from becoming a splat on the pavement, I prepared myself to leap right at him and catching him mid-fall.

That is when I saw a floating metal robot head getting close to him, the person riding the robot head reaches out her hand and slaps him across the cheek. He then stops falling immediately, floating safely above the pavement as his savior closes her fingers together muttering out "R-Release…" and they both crashes back down onto the pavement.

I skid to a stop in front of the scene, just as the girl starts puking out her entire stomach by how much she is releasing out.

That boy is laying the ground, both legs completely broken and bending the wrong ways and his right arm completely bruised and bloody. Those doesn't seem to be caused by his fall. Is it his quirk? Did he broke his body from just doing all of that?

He, to my surprise, starts to move, dragging himself forward with his only functioning arm with tears and snot dripping all over. Dude, he's not passed out yet?!

"AAAAAAAAANNNNNND IT'S OVER!"

Present Mic's announcement echoes in our ears, and the broken kid stopped moving, his eyes just diluted in despair before finally passing out onto the pavement.

A few more minutes passed and most of the other examinees finally came to take a look at him. Murmurs all around as they all discuss who that guy is and how someone with a quirk as crazy strong as his is such a nervous wreck. I stay close to him, giving him a one-over to see if he is fine.

"Please stand aside, dear."

I turn to look, an elderly woman in doctor coat over a hero-like outfit walks up to us. Guessing that she is the medical staff, I stood aside to allow her to do her work.

What I did not expect her to do is pucker up her lips and land a kiss right on his cheek. Whatever she did, it has a great effect as I saw the dude's leg slowly straight back into proper position and his arm slowly losing its bruises. Huh, a healing quirk. That is plenty helpful.

Once we all are checked out, we are brought back to campus where we are debriefed and then dismissed.

* * *

One week has passed since the end of the entrance exam.

Right now, Taikou and Shinsou are chilling at my room with me watching a movie while we wait for the news to drop. My room has changed quite a bit since I was a toddler. Once I entered elementary school, my crib is replaced with a nice bed where I've stored my plushies I have received as birthday presents over the years. The walls are repainted and are now a bright bluish green and several bookshelves lined up against the wall filled to the brim with textbooks and reference books about IT and engineering which I MAY have nicked from Tetsu's room over the years.

What is most prominent, is the single shelve that is separated from the others. This one, closes to my bed, is filled with not just manga, but western comics of all sorts. DC, Marvel, you named it. You would not believe how hard it is find superhero comics this days, let alone get them! Not to mention that the two biggest giants of the industry actually closed their doors years before I was born!

I pity the kids of my generation who would never have the pleasure of knowing about the Amazing Spiderman…

Enough about my room, back to the matter at hand, which is us enjoying a movie on my laptop.

Or at least we are trying to, but the nerves are always there. Taikou's slightly shifting feet to Shinsou's glancing at my door, we are all anxious of our results. I'm even holding onto my All Might plushie (The very same one that I got on my fourth birthday) while chewing down on my pokey sticks.

Cleanliness be damned, nerves take priority.

"…How about a different movie?" Taikou suggested.

"Sure. I'm getting bored with this one, anyways…" Shinsou stated as I open my file of downloaded movies.

"Let's see… We haven't watched-"

*Click* "I'm home!"

Within a split second, I toss my plushie and the remain packet of pokey on my bed and dashes out, tripping over Taikou and Shinsou as we tries to get out of the tangle of legs we trapped ourselves into before we finally unravel our bundle and dashes out of the room to the living room, where dad stood with three letters in his free hand.

I basically snatches them out of his hands, his sigh and grumbling about nerves and teen are ignored as I distribute them among us. We look at each other, before with a deep breath, we tore our letters open. Out dropped three hologram projector that we barely caught before it can fall to the floor.

"…So… who wants to go first?" Shinsou asked.

I and Taikou look at each other, and with a quick match of rock-paper-scissors, he is the first to check.

Pressing the button, a screen pops out and on it is a small mouse-bear thing in a well-dressed suit. He then, with a bright smile, begin to speak, "Greetings! I'm Principal Nezu of Yuuei! It's my honor and pleasure to announce to you, Naru Taikou, that you PASS! Well done! You have shown great value as a potential Hero, one that my school is eager to nurture! Welcome to Yuuei's Hero Course Class 1-B! I will see you in the new semester!"

With that, the hologram turns off, and in its place Taikou let out a loud cheer of happiness with me joining in with a hug tackle. He's in! Taikou got in!

"Congrats, Taikou-kun." Dad tells him, "But mind not setting my carpet on fire? Again?"

He paused before looking down, his feet have starts to have embers dancing about and a smoke is starting to form where he stood.

A quick pat-down and wet cloth later, we all, including dad, move to the dining room to read the rest. Next up is mine.

I swallowed a spit and pressed down on the button, a similar video started to play. It's the pretty much same thing as Taikou's but instead of 1-B, it's 1-A. But either way, I got in too! I let out a woo in cheer as I bounce about the room in happiness. Yes! Finally, my starting line is here!

All that is left is Shinsou's. We are waiting nervously as he presses the button. The video played but…

"Greetings, Hitoshi Shinsou." Nezu says but instead of a bright smile, his face is grim, "I'm sorry to say this but… you have failed the exam. I know it is hard to accept but reassure, there will be chances for you to become a Hero too. With much discussion among our staff, we have agreed to enroll you in the General Course. There will be chances to enter the Hero Course, as long as you work hard and never stop improving. See you in the new semester."

The video cuts off there. We both look at Shinsou, who looks like he has his hopes dashed. All of the sudden, our own joy is completely overwritten with sadness. How can we be happy with our passing when Shinsou fail? This… this is not fair! All that work he has put into this, all of that and he is rejected?!

"You got to kidding me!" Taikou suddenly shouts out angrily, "There must have been some kind of mistake! Maki-ossan, you're a teacher there, right?! Can you-"

"It's fine."

Hearing those words from the last person I expected, I am stunned silent as Shinsou got off the chair, "The practical is difficult for me in the first place. I hardly got much points, so this result is expected."

"But, but, Shinsou!" My childhood friend cried out, "You've trained so hard! Aren't you at least a little upset over this?!"

"No, I've expected this." He noted, "But that doesn't mean I'm done, either."

"Huh?" I blinked, before remembering what the principal has said, "Ah, you mean…"

"The principal stated that there are chances to get into the Hero Course besides the entrance exam, right?" Shinsou explained, "So I'll keep on working hard, and find that chance."

"Shinsou…" I mutter out in surprise. Talk about dedication, he's not giving up his dream despite this?

"That's what I thought you'll say." Dad smiled, "It's not really common knowledge, but there were instances of people from other courses joining the Hero Course midway through the year. Of course, the reverse is true as well."

"Then, then, there's a chance for Shinsou to join us?!" I stated with a smile. Yes! There's still hope for him yet!

"But those instances are pretty rare." He elaborated, "Chances of getting into the course itself is 1 to 300, transferring is even more difficult to even happen. But, I have faith in you, Hitoshi-kun." He turns to Shinsou with a thumbs-up, "It may be bias, but I can see potential Hero you can become. Like Principal Nezu said, keep working hard and the window will open for you."

Our spirits are lifted when he says that, we all turning to each other with a smile and Shinsou gives me a grin of his own.

"Just you wait. I'll make it into the Hero Course soon enough."

"Heh." Taikou smirks, "Well, you better hurry it up. In the time you enter, we'll be waiting further up ahead."

And with that, we all place our fists forward towards each other. Even though it is silent, I'm sure that we are all declaring the same thing in our hearts.

That we all will become Heroes for sure!

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Finished this one! Yes, there is a huge time skip since the last chapter. As much as I want to showcase Genko's childhood days, I feel that it would drag things on a bit too far. So, I decided to skip all that mambo-jumbo and get right into plot!**

 **So yes, Shinsou is introduced! This guy has very little screen time in both the manga and anime after the Sport Festival Arc, only with a few glimpses here and there till the latest few chapters where we truly see him shine. But even with the little screen time he does get, it is apparent that his presence in the series is here to stay.**

 **For those who are wanting to see Genko's childhood days, have no fret! I will be posting them in omakes after each chapter from the next chapter onwards! So stay tuned for that! If you have any suggestion on what kind of omake it should be, let me know! I'll see if I could write them down!**

 ***Edit:  
So, I just realized that I have over estimated Genko's speed and changed it to a more manageable speed. Thank you, **coduss **for pointing that out there.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Quirk Assessment**

* * *

Three weeks pass by in a flash.

From ordering the textbooks to getting measurements for uniforms, my last winter break as a Junior High student passes by so quickly that I didn't really get time to enjoy it at all. Not to mention the entire registering of quirk and emailing designs for my hero costume. There was so much to do before school starts that before I know it, it is already the last week of march and my first day as a Yuuei student is right around the corner.

And it is on this eve of my high school career that I am currently at the rooftop of the Kemuri's apartment with Taikou and Shinsou, along with several of the tenants holding a large barbeque party to celebrate.

"Once again, to Tai-chan's and Gen-chan's acceptance!"

"Cheers!"

All the adults raise their cups of alcohol and cheers, the three of us kids raise our cups of soda and juices in celebration as well. Thank god we weren't given alcohol, even by accident. My school life would be ruined if I have to go to my first day hungover.

The entire party is completely bustling, from Kemuri's handling of the grill to some of the tenants talking up a storm and just having a merry good time. I chewed on my second plate of grilled beef as I watches the adults all dancing about like madmen. "They just want an excuse to party, huh?" Shinsou points out, me and Taikou nodding in agreement.

"Say, have any of you guys finished dealing with the papers and whatnot?" I asked after swallowing my beef, "I just finished yesterday."

"Same here." Taikou nodded with a sigh, "I never thought attending a Hero school will have so many paperwork… I accidentally mailed my quirk particulars twice."

"I got it finished last week." Shinsou explained, "The General Course didn't have much to send, after all."

"Damn, you are lucky!"

"Really…?"

"Ah! N-No! That's not what I meant!" He quickly caught himself but the damage is already done.

"It's fine. I know you didn't mean it." Shinsou noted.

"Shinsou…" I felt sorry for him. He has work as hard as we did and yet didn't even make the cut. But in the end, his quirk is completely different than ours.

"Nervous about your first day, you guys?"

A voice calls out, a young man walks up to us with a plate at hand.

"Oh, Budo-san."

This man is Budo Jitsu. He is one of the tenants of Kemuri's apartment, an ex-MMA fighter turned police detective. He is also our trainer of sorts.

Back when he first moved here, both me and Taikou begged him to teach us once we found out he used to be one hell of an MMA fighter. With our persistence and a little help from our parents, he accepted us as his students. Once Shinsou is part of our group, he too became a student as well. Budo has taught us all sorts of moves, from all sorts of styles too. Capoeira, Judo, Taekwondo , Muay Thai, even good old fashion Boxing, he taught us a plethora of moves that we could use.

"I've heard." He stated as he pulls a chair to sit next to us, "You did your best, Shinsou. No need to get too upset."

"I'm not really upset, though…"

"Your eyebrow did the furrow thing whenever you are upset." I pointed out.

"Really?"

"Well, enough depressing stuff." Budo declares before facing me and Taikou, "Nervous about tomorrow."

"I wasn't until you point it out." Taikou stated shakily, "But a little excited too. To think, from tomorrow onwards, we all be future heroes-in-training!"

"Yup! Our first step!" I added with a smile.

"Glad you guys are dealing with it well." Budo chuckles, "You guys have no idea how proud I am of you guys. You all have come so far from those little kids that pester me all those years ago."

"We couldn't have made it if weren't for you, Budo-san." I stated, "We might have never got to make it into Yuuei without your guidance."

"Always the sweet talker, huh, Genko-chan." He noted with a grin as he raises his cup to face us, "To great future Heroes."

"Damn straight!" Taikou exclaims as we all slam our plastic cups together.

* * *

I stood right in front of the massive door that leads to my classroom, the impressive structure struck out to me more like a large metal gate than a door. Taikou and Shinsou have left ahead to their respective classes, leaving me in front of my own class alone.

"Talk about intimidating…" I mutter worriedly, feeling my backpack getting heavier by the second, "Come on, Genko, keep it together! You are a Yuuei student now! You can't let a big door scare you!"

I took in a deep breath, patting down on my skirt before sliding the door open. For a door that big, it's surprisingly light.

The classroom isn't empty as I thought it might be. There are at least seven students already inside, one of which is the same guy that bump into me back then who is sitting at one of the desks with his feet resting on the table. Besides him, there is a guy with spiky red hair and sharp teeth who looks really familiar, a girl with pink skin and hair with two horns sticking out, a boy who has a literal bird head (Crow or raven, I can't tell), a girl with black hair that has two fleshy earphone jacks trailing from her ears, a blonde guy with a black streak and a floating female uniform.

Me opening the door seems to have attracted their attention, their eyes trailing towards me. Hey, is that girl's pupils black?

"Oh! Morning!" I greeted as I went to check my seating arrangement; it looks like I'm the second seat from the third column, seating next to one Hagakure Toru, "I'm Tatsuya Genko! Please to meet you!"

"Morning! I'm Hagakure Toru!" The floating uniform greeted, "I'm your desk buddy! Nice to meet you too!"

"Hey, invisibility! Always knew there would be someone with that quirk!" I noted to my surprise as I sat down next to her, "Quick question, are you invisible to yourself too or just other people?"

"Asked the same question just now." The girl with the earphone jacks tells me, "Says it was a secret."

"Because it is~!"

"Well, I got my answer I guess." I nodded, "What's your name?"

"Kyoka Jiro."

"I'm Kaminari Denki, by the way!" The blonde guy speaks up.

"Mina Ashido! Nice to meet you!" The pink girl noted.

"…Tokoyami Fumikage" The bird head stated.

"Kirishima Eijiro!" The redhead tells me before pointing to the blonde rude guy, "He's Bakugou Katsuki, by the way."

"Tch!"

Well, aren't he a ball of sunshine? And again, that name sounds really familiar. Do I know him from somewhere?

After our little introduction, more students start to flow in. I manages to learn who most of them are; there's Yaoyorozu Momo: the tall girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail, Kouda Kouji: the dude that looks like a dinosaur with a almost puppy-like expression, Satou Rikidou: the guy with big lips and rather jacked body, Oijiro Mashirao: the third blonde guy with a large tail, Sero Hanta: the black haired dude with what seems to be tape dispenser on his elbows, Aoyama Yuuga: the fourth blonde guy that seems to like posing like a model for some reason, Asui Tsuyu: the girl with long black hair and frog-like appearance, Todoroki Shouto: the guy with a hair split down the middle of one side red and the other white with a nasty burn scar on his left eye, and one Shouji Mezou: this huge giant of a teenager with a mask covering his face and three large arms that looks oddly familiar.

Oh yeah, he is that super bulky guy I saw in the entrance exam.

And then the latest one to come in, the super serious guy from the entrance exam who walked in almost robot-like. Once he has placed his bag on his desk, he immediately marches over to Bakugou and starts lecturing him.

"Remove your foot from that desk!" He shouted, "Such an action is insulting to our seniors who left, _and_ the craftsmen who made these chairs!"

"Like a care!" The rude almost delinquent-looking student laughed almost insultingly towards him, "What school are you from that teach you that?"

So, he pretty much calls everyone that… talk about an ego…

"W-Wha-I'm from Somei Private Academy. I'm Iida Tenya."

"Iida…?" Where did I heard that name somewhere before?

"Somei?! You're one of those stuck-up elitist types, huh?!" He laughed slouching forward, "Looks like it'll be fun blowing you to bits!"

"B-Blow to bits?! Such cruel words…!" Iida flinched in shock, "Do you really wish to become a Hero?!"

"Fuck off!"

Their attention than turn to the door, where it is slightly opened with a short dark green hair with freckles whose face turns even paler when he notices our gaze towards him. Hold on, isn't that the kid that blew away that giant robot with one punch? So, he got in too…

Iida then proceeds to walk up to the poor shaking boy and starts to introduce himself to him. I manage to catch his name in their conversation, Midoriya Izuku. Okay, his name sounds really familiar. Where did I heard it from…?

"Deku…" I hear Bakugou growls with pure disgust, one that seems to indicate a history between the two.

Despite all that, what I am really paying attention is his name for the poor boy. Deku. I'm sure that it is something to do with wordplay, Japanese are infamous for that, but there's something that is tugging on the back of my mind that it is more than that, that the name is playing a bigger play that. Seriously, what is with these names poking at my head lately…?

"If you're here to socialize, then get out."

I am broken out of my musing when I heard a voice called out from the corridor. My attention turned back to the classroom's entrance where both Iida and Midoriya along with a new girl, who looks like the one that saved him back during the exam, are looking out before a figure seems to rise up from the floor, a yellow cocoon of sorts standing up as the three of them backed into the classroom.

From that yellow cocoon-oh wait, that's a sleeping bag, a tall man with long unkempt hair and bloodshot eyes got out wearing a black jumper with what seems to be an extremely long scarf wrapped around his neck. "It took eight seconds for you to quiet down. Time is a precious resource. You lot aren't a very rational lot, are you?" He commented, "I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta. Pleased to made your acquaintance."

'Homeroom teacher?!' Was in my mind, just as it is in most of my other classmates'. This guy is our homeroom teacher?! He doesn't even look like a Pro Hero, let alone a teacher.

"With that being said…" He reaches into his sleeping bag and pulls out the standard issued Yuuei gym uniform, "Change into your gym clothes and head out to the grounds."

Huh? Gym class on the first day? This is odd…

* * *

 **"""A Quirk Assessment test?!"""**

We all loudly exclaimed once we changed to our gym uniforms and meet out in the track field. Once we all have gathered, we were told by Aizawa about this sudden test, much to our surprise.

"W-What about the opening ceremony?!" The new girl, named Uraraka Ochako, asked, "Or orientation?!"

"No time to waste on that stuff if you want to become Heroes." He explained, "Yuuei is known for its 'Freestyle' education system. That applies to us teachers too."

Wait… huh?

Ignoring our disbelief, our teacher carries on, "Softball Throwing. Standing Long Jump. 50m Dash. Endurance Running. Grip Strength. Side Hopping. Upper Body Training. Seated Toe Touch. You all did these in Junior High, yes? Your standard no-quirks gym tests? This country still insists on prohibiting quirks when calculating the averages of those records. It's not rational. The Department of Education is just procrastinating."

"Bakugo." He tosses a softball with a metal band wrapped around it to said student, "How far could you throw in Junior High?"

"67m."

"Great. Now try it with your quirk." He stated, "Do whatever you need to. Just don't leave the circle. Just give it all you've got."

"Okay." Bakugo walks up to the circle, stretching his arms for a moment before winding up and with a loud "DIE!", he sends the ball flying with an explosion. The smoke dissipates a few seconds later just as the ball lands a good distance away.

"It's important for us to know our limits." Our teacher explained as he shows us the distance on his device, "That's the first rational step to figuring out what kind of Heroes you'll be."

"Whoa! This is awesome!" "705m?! Seriously?!" "So, we can use our quirks for real! Man, the Hero Course is great!"

All our classmates start chattering in excitement over the notion of using our quirks as freely as we can, me included. This is the first time I get to use my quirk as freely as this without getting lectured by a teacher or police officer! This is going to be sweet!

"…Awesome, you say…?" Aizawa suddenly noted as his tone turns grim, "You're hoping to become Heroes in three years, and you think it'll be all fun and games?"

Why do I have a bad feeling I'm not going to like where this is going…?

"Alright. The one with the lowest score across all eight events will be judged as HOPELESS, and EXPELLED."

 **"""W-WHHHAAAAAAAAAATTT?!"""**

"Y-You can't do that!" Uraraka exclaims.

"Oh, I can." Our teacher stated with a rather creepy grin, "Your fates are in our hands. So, allow me to officially welcome you all to Yuuei's Hero Course."

* * *

The first event is 50m Dash with the first up being Iida Tenya and Tsuyu Asui. Iida manages to clear it rather fast with just barely over three seconds flat, Tsuyu finishing two seconds later. His quirk is rather advantages for this test, being a speed-based quirk of two engine exhaust pipes sticking out of his calves.

Tsuyu's quirk is very obvious, with her frog-like features and such. She literally frog-hop her way across the finishing line, which I think is really adorable! A cute frog girl, now that's a concept that hasn't been touched before until now.

Next up is Uraraka Ochako, who just ran normally, and Ojiro Mashirao, who used his enough tail to leap long distances all the way to the end. Got to say, that is one tail I wouldn't want to be at the end of. With its size, I wouldn't be surprise if it could tip over a car if he wanted to. Love the fluffy end, though.

After them is Aoyama Yuga and Mina Ashido. The blonde fellow is probably the first one to be creative with his own quirk, which is to shot out a laser beam from his navel that he uses to propel himself forward using Newton's Third Law of Physics. Although he did stumble for a moment near the end, which allowed the pink girl to pass him with her slippery liquid quirk.

Next is Midoriya and Bakugo, and boy that Bakugo. From the start, it is obvious his quirk is explosions from his palms which he uses to boost himself forward like a rocket! And I thought Aoyama's idea is creative. This guy's quirk is made specifically for such use!

Although if I were to compare him to Taikou, Taikou would probably be the better of the two.

Midoriya, on the other hand, seems to just run normally instead of using his insane quirk from the entrance exam. That is to be expected, with how dangerous it is to himself. Just one use and his limbs are broken. Talk about an unbalanced quirk…

"Next up, Tatsuya and Tokoyami."

Aizawa's voice brought me out of my musings, I immediately make my way to the starting point and takes out a battery from my pocket. I clutched it tightly in my hand, its electricity filling my body. A quick glance to my left to see the bird-headed guy in a ready position with a dark shadowy figure trailing out of him. So that's his quirk… neat-looking, it's like a Stand!

"Ready…"

I bounced a bit before leaning forward a little with my right leg back and left leg forward.

"Go!"

And I kicked back hard and rockets forward. I barely manages to catch the glimpse of the recording bot that I know I finished and skids to a stop a good distance away from the finishing line.

"1.05 seconds!"

"WHOA! NO WAY!" "That's fast!" "And I thought that glasses dude is quick!"

I ignore their chattering as I pump my fist in the air. Yes, new record! All those acceleration practice sensation with dad really paid off! The timer behind me beeped as the birdman passes the finish line, signaling at about 7 seconds.

A few more other students ran the test, Todoroki having one hell of a quirk in which he literally propels himself forward by unleashing a barrage of ice behind him on his right side which nearly took froze the guy next to him, and we turn our attention to the next few tests.

* * *

Grip Strength wasn't my best attribute. It took me using both hands to open a pickle jar when it is held in place by another person, even then it took at least an entire minute of trying to even move the lid. And considering my quirk has nothing to do with actual strength, it does little to nothing to help with it.

And such, when we are tasked with measuring our grip strength, I'm not surprised when mine is recorded at about 35kg.

Same with Standing Long Jump, which I just tumble into the sandbox a couple of feet from the jumping point.

Now Side Hopping, that's something I'm pretty good at. I think the counter machine actually malfunctioned a little when I just start hoping from one spot to another and again at increasing speeds until my max speed which I maintained for the entire test.

Right now, we are at the Softball Throwing, which Bakugou excel yet again with another explosion-aided throw but Uraraka really go beyond with her quirk which I guess must make things float as she tosses the softball, it just keeps going and going…

And going…

And going…

And going…

Till it is no longer in our sights, and the reading on Aizawa's device literally turn up an infinity loop to our surprise. I mean, is infinity even considered a number?

Next is Midoriya, who is getting paler as the tests went. From the 50m Dash onwards, he started to look like he is lagging way behind the rest of us. All those times, I was kind of hoping for another moment of his insane quirk to in motion, but he didn't even try to use it at all.

"Midoriya-kun isn't doing very well…" Iida pointed out.

"Well, duh!" Bakugou scoffs, "He's just a quirkless runt!"

Wait, quirkless?

"Wait, what are you talking about?" I asked curiously, "He has a quirk."

"Huh?! What, are your ears blocked or something?! I said he's quirkless!"

That can't be right! He pummeled that titan robot with one hit! There's no way he is quirkless if he can do that! He must be mistaken about the whole thing, or that he just so full of himself that he doesn't even notice anything that involves himself…

I turn my attention back to Midoriya, who is up in the circle as he winds up to throw his ball. And with a mighty heave, he tosses the ball forward, which only lands a few meters away from him much to his shock.

"H-Huh? B-But I was trying to use it…"

"I've 'erased' your quirk." Aizawa noted, his hair now all raised up to more reveal his red-shot eyes but now his eyes are glowing red and the scarf is unraveled a bit to reveal a pair of yellow bared goggles underneath, "That ridiculous entrance exam… completely irrational when you consider someone like you got in."

"Erased…?! Wait, those goggles… Of course!" Midoriya seems to have realized, "He's the Erasure Hero, Eraserhead!"

"Eraser…what?" "I think I've heard his name before! He's an angler-type hero!"

Eraserhead… I think Taikou mentioned him before.

A Hero akin to Batman, someone who operates from the shadows and almost never make an appearance in any mass media. He is well-known for his quirk to 'erase' other quirks, which is extremely rare even in our quirk-filled society of today. What's someone like him teaching in Yuuei?

"I've saw it, of how you can't control your quirk at all. You'd just be incapacitated again. Were you hoping someone would step in to help afterwards?"

"N-No, it's not like that-"

He doesn't let Midoriya finish as he wraps his scarf around him and pulls him close. From there, he starts talking to him in a quieter but certainly sterner tone. After a few more words, he closes his eyes letting his hair fall back down and let him go.

Slumbering back to the circle, Midoriya seems to be muttering something to himself looking a little downcast. Whatever Aizawa said, it must have hit him hard with something. A few more seconds later, he winds his arms back and lean forward for a heavy throw.

And throw he did, and this time the ball is sent flying off into the distance in the same manner as Bakugou's. I hear our teacher's device beeped for a moment, as Midoriya turns back to face him, clutching his right hand into a fist which now have a bloodied index finger. And with a teary smile with his mouth in a wince he proclaims, "Sensei… I can still move…!"

No way… did he used his finger?! With one finger, he sent that ball packing?! What a powerful quirk that is! A strength booster of sorts? Regardless, that is so clever! Instead of sacrificing an entire arm, he uses his finger! Double-edged that quirk may be, he manages to find a solution to it that doesn't involves breaking his limps, and within that moment too!

I don't about what Bakugo is talking about, that is a quirk!

And just as I was thinking that, I heard an explosion next to me and the very person I was thinking about rockets towards Midoriya screaming, "WHAT THE HELL?! EXPLAIN YOURSELF, DEKU!" But before he can get any closer, Aizawa's scarf wraps about him tightly, stopping and securing him in place, "What the…?! This cloth… it's stiff…!"

"It's a 'capture weapon' made of carbon fibers and a special alloy wire." He tells the explosive kid, "Geez… stop using your quirk already…"

"I'm getting dry eye over here."

'What a waste, considering his quirk is so awesome!' Is what everyone and me are thinking in response on his statement.

Bakugou puts his hands down as Aizawa unravels his scarf while his hair floats back down, "What a waste of time… next up, Tatsuya."

I obediently walk up to the circle, taking care to detour an arm distance around mister-anger-issue, and picks up the softball that somehow made its way back here. I'm not even going to question it. I took a stance, one hand held the ball while the other holds a battery to charge me up, raise a knee and starts to spin myself.

"What the hell…?" "Is that even allowed?" "Look at her go!"

Got to thank mom for signing me up for that ballet class in my third grade. One more turn and I swings my arm forward, tossing the softball and letting the momentum speed it forward.

But unfortunately, I've timed my swing wrongly and ended up tossing the ball right towards my classmates which ended up slamming into Aoyama's groin, knocking him down to his knees clutching his bruised… you know.

"Ah! S-Sorry!"

"Watch your aim, Tatsuya." Aizawa tells me, I can feel his glare on my back as I let out a nervous giggle. My bad…? "That one will count, by the way."

Seriously?! Damn it, got to time it right this time.

Thankfully, the next time I've timed it right and sends the ball flying down the field, earning me a record of 700.9 meters.

* * *

The last events are so much simpler than the first half. The Seated Toe Touch was no trouble with my ballet-trained flexibility which allows me to bend till my boobs touches my knees, and Upper Body Training is just your standard cardio training; push-ups, pull-ups, the works.

The final one, Endurance Running, is definitely made for me and Iida. The moment the entire event start, I was able to use the last charge in my battery to speed through the entire thing and finish the whole thing in about four minutes. I've even lapped poor Iida a few times, he finishing a good two minutes after me.

I think he might be a little salty from me running backwards when I passed him on my last lap.

When the last person finishes their lap, Hagakure was panting when she passes the finishing line, we all are gathered around our homeroom teacher anxiously waiting for our results, "Your total scores simply reflect your performances in each of the events. Explaining the process will be a pain in the ass, so all you get are the final rankings." We all held our breaths as he pressed on his device to show the list.

"Also, I was lying about the whole expelling someone thing."

…Huh?

"That was a rational DECEPTION meant to bring the best in all of you." He explains with a smile that can only meant one thing

He fucking trolled us all.

 **"""WHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT?!"""**

"Well, of course it was a lie…" I hear Yaoyorozu murmur out, "Didn't take much to figure that out…"

"Anyway, we're done here. Your documents about the curriculum is back in the classroom. Give them a look." Aizawa tells us before turning to our 'casualty' and handing him a form, "Midoriya. Have Recovery Girl fix you up. Tomorrow's trials aren't gonna be any easier."

"Y-Yes, sir…"

With those last words, our teacher just walks off. Not sure what to think of him, I turn my attention to the listings. Huh, I'm ranked eighth. I was expecting to be at least in the double digits…

* * *

When we reached the classroom, with our gym uniforms packed away and ready for the wash, there are indeed forms on our respective tables that tell us our schedule for the semester. After spending a few more minutes informing us about the type of classes and the schedules of the Hero Course, Aizawa dismisses us for the day.

I let out a tired sigh as I sling my bag on my back. This is NOT what I expect for my first day in high school, even if I'm in the Hero Course. But I've got to admit, it feels good to use my quirk so freely like that.

"Hey! Tatsuya-san, was it?"

I turned around in confusion as Kirishima walks up to me with a smile, "Want to grab a bite to eat? My treat!"

"Huh?" What's this all of the sudden? I mean, we barely know anything about each other, besides our names and quirks.

"Asking a girl out on the first day?" Kaminari calls out with a grin, "That's bold, Kirishima."

"What? No, it's not like that. I just owe her one, you know." He explains.

He owes me one? What is he talking about? Kind of think of it, he looks rather familiar… where have I…?

Wait, his teeth are sharp, which looks like the teeth on that… OH!

"Wait, are you that guy from the entrance exam?"

"Yup! The same one!" He noted with a grin, "Thanks again for the save back then."

"Huh. So you dyed your hair red…" I pointed out, "High school debut?"

"Something like that." He grins, "Anyway, want to? I saw this ramen place a few blocks down that looks good."

"Well…"

Just as I'm about to answer, the door slides open with Taikou in an anxious state shout out, "Genko! Can I ask you a favor?!"

"…Some other time, perhaps." I tell him as I went to my childhood friend to ask him what's going on.

And boy, there is something going on.

* * *

 _"Damn, a Quirk Assessment on the first day? Haha, you've got it rough, lil sis!"_

"Yeah, yeah, laugh at your sister's pain, why don't you?"

When I made it back home, mom isn't back yet so I guess she wouldn't be back till late. Her job is irregular like that. Noting that, I went to my room where I turn on my laptop and start video-calling Tetsu to tell him about my first day.

Tetsu isn't at home anymore, at least not of recently since he graduated from college a few years back. You see, if you didn't know, my brother is somewhat of a tech wiz, or you can say he is a genius when it came to hardware and electronics. He actually created a lot of things over the years since his junior high school days, usually gadgets and support items for some of his friends in the Hero Course.

Heck, he actually has a few patents under his name by the time he graduated college. It is then that he is scouted by this scientist by the name of David Shield, a former sidekick of All Might during his time in the States. From what he has told us, he had seen Tetsu's works and is more than willingly to offer him a job as a lab assistant with him on I Island.

Tetsu accepted almost immediately, and he since left home. Although, he has been sending letters home and allowed me to video call him from time to time.

 _"You know, word has it that All Might is teaching at Yuuei."_ He noted.

"He is. I've saw a glimpse of him once." I stated, "Dad confirmed it too."

 _"God, that has to be awesome! Having THE All Might teaching you?"_

"Yeah, it would be."

"… _Sorry I couldn't be there for it."_ He apologized, _"It's just… I've just finished this thing for-"_

"It's fine, Tetsu." I assures him, "Yeah, I wanted you here too. It's been a long time since I've last seen you face to face. But I know that is your dream job and as your sister, I have to support my older brother's decisions for his life's goal. If that means I won't see you that often, then it's something I'm willing to live with."

"… _What did I do to get a sister like you?"_ Tetsu chuckles. A muffled voice is heard in the background that he recognizes, _"Oh, got to go. We're finishing with the last few tests. Love you, Gen-chan."_

"Love you too, Tetsu-nii. And remember to shave! You don't look nice with that scruffy beard."

" _Hey!"_

With that last word, I close the app and let out a sigh. As much I want to deny it, I really miss my brother. The last time he is back here is during Obon last year, and he is only here for about a week before flying back.

"I'm home! And I've got cake to celebrate!"

With that statement, all sense of loneliness flew out of me as I rushed into the dining room. Strawberry shortcake, my favorite!

…

 _To be continued…_

 **Omake**

I glare at that black vicious beast, its long luscious tail swirling around as if mocking me. It's emerald eyes barely taking note of me as it lets out a loud yawn in boredom.

Today is the day.

The day I would get my revenge for my humiliation of days past.

Today, that beast will get what is coming to him-

"Oh for heaven's sake, Genko, can you do this later?" Taikou calls out, "Lunch will be over soon."

"No! That beast will pay for what it did to me!"

"Tatsuya. That's a cat." Shinsou noted, "A harmless black cat."

"That's what it wants you to think!" I tell him cautiously, "Because once you let your guard down, he'll-my lunch is in his mouth, isn't it?"

He nodded, I turning to the said creature, its eyes gleam with amusement as in its mouth is the legendary Yakisoba bread of the cafeteria store below that I've worked my ass to get.

With a flick of his tail, he sprints away.

"You damn thief!"

And I chase right after him.

"Pay up."

"Damn it."

* * *

 **Yeah! Fast one, aren't I? Well, once I'm into canon territory, it became easier to write out what to do next! Although, this omake is a bit lacking, isn't it? Got to work harder next time.**

 **Anyway, yes, Tetsu won't show up much in this fic, and yes, the whole s is quite out of left field but let me put it this way.**

 **Why would you invent things in your home, when there are places for such things without endangering all those around you?**

 **I hope that answer your question.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Hero Course**

* * *

The very next day, the semester truly kicks off.

But unlike the first day's crazy sudden test, the actual first period was… mundane to say the least. The curriculum for the Hero Course is mostly the same as other non-hero schools, with five periods in the morning where normal classes are taught, a lunch break after before the afternoon classes where the actual hero classes officially starts.

As such, for the most of the morning, we're basically normal high school students.

Not to say the classes are boring, but it is jarring to study for the same thing as I did in my previous life when I'm enrolled in a course that teaches us about being superheroes by real Heroes.

Allow me to break it up for you, we have compulsory classes that includes the usual: English, Science, Art, Japanese, Modern Literature, History and Math. Aizawa is teaching us science, physics mostly considering his style of hero work. Japanese and Modern Literature is by Cementoss, who looks like a walking cement block with arms, and his classes are fun especially with him bringing up a few Japanese classics as study material. Midnight, or as I preferred to call her: Nemuri-nee, taught us History and Art which I think a few guys having trouble concentrating due to her… unique costume.

At least that is better than her original one from her debut. Boy, did mom and dad lectured her about that. And for good reasons too, it's borderline nude!

Math is taught by Ectoplasm, and boy is that one's a doozy with the level of calculus being WAY too easy for me. Not to brag or anything, mathematics was and is my best and favorite subject in both this and previous life. I was a Physic Major back then and was on my final year before that trip and death. And in this life, if I want to become a proper hero, it's a necessity.

You see, my quirk may allow my body to move fast, my brain is still processing in the same normal human speed. Which means that a lot of quick movements and adjustments have to already be made and predicted beforehand. To tell the truth, I'm still having some trouble just making the right moves at the right time. Trust me when I say this, it is not easy. It was thanks to dad's guidance that I'm even remotely as good as I am using it nowadays.

And then… there's English, taught by Present Mic.

Not to say he is a bad teacher, but his eccentric personality really doesn't fit that of a teacher at all. Like, At All.

As such of today, being the last class right before lunchbreak.

"Now, who can tell me about the mistake in the following sentence?" He asked, getting mostly silence in return. A few moments passed before he shouts out at the top of his lungs, "ALRIGHT EVERYBODY! GET YOUR HANDS UP! SHOW ME SOME OF THAT HEROIC SPIRIT!"

That got some response with a couple of hands raising up, of Iida, Yaoyorozu and Midoriya. Yaoyorozu got picked and answers the question correctly. Not that it is difficult, it's just a classic grammar mistake.

"Okay, now to-"

Most the class I tuned out as my mind wanders to back to yesterday where Taikou told me about this favor he wanted to ask me.

* * *

 _Yesterday_

" _So, what is it?" I asked him in the corridor._

" _You still have that international translator Tetsu-san made?" He asked, I nodded in response, "Good, I like to borrow it for tomorrow."_

" _Tomorrow? Why?" Why on earth would he need a translator for?_

" _Let's put it this way. Heroes help people, right? Well there this classmate that came from overseas that can't really speak Japanese all too well, and then there's this guy who is basically using that missing knowledge to teach her how to swear like a sailor. And seeing as my English is terrible, I thought of you and your brother made that translator so…"_

" _Ah…" I nodded in understanding, "Is she a redhead?"_

" _What? That has nothing to do with it!"_

" _Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." I giggled, "I'll dig it up for you when I get back. No guarantee that it'll be working shape, though."_

" _That's good enough!"_

* * *

Lucky for him, that translator gadget still works fine despite being buried in all the prototype junk that has been stored in my room. Wonder who he is giving it to…

"HEY, HEY! PAY ATTENTION, YOU ALL!"

Present Mic's voice echoes and vibrates the air as well as my inner ear canals to my discomfort, breaking me out of my mind wandering as the blonde teacher is staring straight at me with a look of disappointment. "I'm sure you think this is all so boring but they are important for your future as a hero too! Now, Tatsuya-shoujo. Please point out the mistake in this sentence for me!"

I rubbed my ears to try and get rid of the ringing noise as I stood up to answer.

* * *

"Never thought that we would get to eat this much for so little of a price…" Taikou noted as he slurps up his curry udon, "Yuuei is quite a school, huh?"

"Definitely." I nodded in agreement.

Once we break for lunch, almost everyone heads straight for the cafeteria. The cafeteria is also run by a Pro Hero, one named Lunch Rush. Although I have to wonder how is he a superhero, you can't deny his food is awesome. I just ordered a simple tendon and already I wanting seconds! Like seriously, how?!

At any rate, once I made it there, I am greeted by Taikou who has two other students from his class with him. One who looks like a silver haired version of Kirishima with the addition of white borders around his eyes, and a blonde girl with two massive antlers and hooves instead of normal feet.

They are Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (One heck of name he has, just metal metal metal…) and Tsunotori Pony, his classmates and the overseas student he told me yesterday.

Which bring us to here, with me and three of them eating lunch together.

"Is the translator working well for you, Tsunotori-san?" I asked curiously.

"Yes! I really can't thank you enough, Tatsuya!" She noted with a smile, her hand fidgeting with the choker with a speaker around her neck that connects to a hearing device on her right ear, "I've wanted this when I transferred to Japan, but I couldn't find one in time."

"It is damn lucky you found one, huh?" Tetsutetsu noted chomping down on his gyudon, "But that must have cost you a fortune. I've heard they are selling at least 100 000yen a piece!"

"Nah, it's nothing." I assure him, "Besides, that there is the original prototype so it's very limited in function. But if it's just English to Japanese and vice versa, it's plenty."

"Prototype?! Wait, don't tell me you made this!"

"It's her brother's actually." Taikou pointed out, "One of the many things he made during high school, I believe…"

"Man, that is wicked…!" Tetsutetsu noted, "You brother must have been one heck of an engineer!"

"You could say that." I smiled as I took another bite at my tempura. Oh, fish~! "So, how was the classes?"

"A lot mundane than I thought…" He stated with a sigh, "I mean, I don't get what is Literature going to help us become heroes?"

"And your homeroom teacher, Aizawa was it?" Taikou noted, "When I heard Eraserhead is going to be teaching us Science, I did not expect him to be that gruffy-looking. But you got to admit, he's definitely a professional through and through. Wonder how he ended up teaching here?"

"Present Mic classes were… interesting to say the least." Tsunotori noted.

"But then History class…" My childhood friend shudders, "I really hope Vlad-sensei let us change seats. Just sitting in front of Mineta is a horrifying experience."

"Is he that bad?" I asked curiously, "This Mineta guy, I mean."

"The worst!" Taikou groaned, "He's like the hormones of horny teenage boys personified! You would not believe the eyes he is making looking at Midnight! I can _feel_ his gaze!"

"Y-Yikes…" Guess there always will have boys like that in High School…

* * *

Soon, lunch hour is over and we all return back to our respective classes, where we awaited our most anticipated class of the day. The very class the reason we signed up for the Hero Course to begin with. Here we are, anxiously waiting in our seats for the teacher to finally arrive to start our first basic hero studies and the class excitement is slowly and steadily building up and is right about to burst open!

And just as the excitement is about to blow over…

"I AM–!"

The door slams opened and–

"–COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"

All Might of all people flung himself into the room.

"Holy shit, it's ALL MIGHT!" "Incredible, is he really going to be teaching us?!"

All Might, the Symbol of Peace, the icon of the Hero world, the living legend himself! Throughout my whole life, his name became a synonymous with the word Hero, to a point that when people think of the word hero, All Might is probably the first thing that comes to mind. There's no doubt the influence his very presence has on the world at large, with the amount of publicity and media coverage one gets if they are even near him for a fraction of a second.

And I can see why. His large intimating yet warm muscular form, his bright unwavering smile with perfect cheekbones, and not to mention the sheer overwhelming presence he has just by coming into the room and standing in front of the class, it's indescribable!

Though his costume for today looks a little tacky for someone called the Symbol of Peace. I mean, the solid red isn't doing him any favors, not to mention the cheesy cape he is wearing.

"Hero Basic Training!" He proclaimed with his movements both exaggerated yet fitting, bombastic and full of energy, "The class that will put you through all sorts of special training to mold you into Heroes!" And with an energetic pose, he shows to us a card in his hand, one that reads out the word [Battle]. "With that said, today's activity will be this! Battle Training!" With that loud proclamation, he keeps the card and took out a clicker from his utility belt. "And for that, you need these!"

He then clicks on it. From the wall opposite of the door, panels slide out revealing several metallic briefcases numbered from 1 to 20. "In accordance with the 'Quirk Registry' and the special request forms you filled out before being admitted…"

""" **COSTUMES!"""**

We all clamper out of our seats in a rush towards the wall to pick out our cases.

"These cases are numbered according to the ranking order from Aizawa-kun's trials yesterday! After you change, come out in ranking order to Training Ground Beta!" All Might tells us with a heroic flair of his cape, striking the most heroic of poses, "Looking good is very important, ladies and gentlemen! Look alive out there! Because from today onwards…"

"You're all Heroes!"

* * *

Marching down the tunnel that leads to Training Ground Beta, I could feel the tension growing from the fact that we are all dressed for one thing and one thing only, Hero Training! Looking around the class, I noticed a lot of different type of hero costumes. From intimidating ones like Bakugou's with his huge grenade bracers, to full practicality like Iida's almost robotic-looking full body armor, to just style choices like Kaminari's leather jacket and headphones or Aoyama's entire outfit in general.

Like, is the whole glittering cape really necessary?

I'm leaning to towards practical with a flair of style in them.

My costume consists of a short-sleeved long-legged white skinsuit that hugged my body and goes up to my neck, with black accents in forms of lines on my sides leading from my ankle up to my ribs and under my sleeves. Over it on my upper half is a red bolero leather jacket with short sleeves tied to the skinsuit's sleeves with a black belt and light blue collar, on my wrists are two black skintight wristbands with white carbon fiber plates sewed into it.

On the bottom half is a pair of long black boots that hugs my legs that has white armor-like pads on my shins and knees with the part behind the knees having a fishnet texture, along with white soles with white pads on the heel portion and a bangle-like armor around my ankles. The boots go all the way up to my thighs that is secured in place by a button and zip combination.

A silver utility belt is clinched around my waist, in them are a few first aid supplies and other stuff I might need on the field. Bandages, band-aids, anti-bacterial spray, disinfectant spray, some painkillers; and a pouch on my right hip that contains most of my batteries I would be using.

And the last piece, a large blue translucent plastic mask that covers my entire face that is held in place by an arc of dark red metallic alloy that resembles headphones, that is light enough to not disrupt me from moving my head and firm enough to not bend about, which has padding on the top and sides close to my ears. The part around my ears is also hollow and empty, protected by a white grate-like design that allows sounds to come in and out.

"Shall we begin, my wards?!" All Might called out once we are all assembled together in the training ground, "It's time for Battle Training!"

"Sensei!" Iida immediately raises his hand up and starts asking, "This appears to be the same field used in the entrance exam. Will we once again be performing cityscape maneuvers?!"

"Nope!" He replied instantly, "You'll be moving on to step two: Indoor Anti-Personnel Battle Training!" Seeing our confusion, he goes on further to explain, "Villains are most commonly seen outdoors, but statistically speaking, the most heinous villains are more likely to appear _indoors_. Between confinement, house arrest, and black-market deals, in this hero-filled society of ours, the cleverest villains out there lurk in the shadows!"

"Now, you'll now be split into Villain teams and Hero teams and face off against each other in two-on-two indoor battles!"

"With no basic training?" Asui asked.

"Practical experience teaches you the basics! The distinction here is that you won't be fighting disposable robots."

"What determines victory?" "Can I just blast everyone away?" "Will you threaten us with expulsion like Aizawa-sensei?" "How do we proceed to divide ourselves into teams?" "How fabulous is my cape~?"

One after another, questions pop up one after another. I mostly kept quiet as it looks like All Might is getting overwhelmed by the amount of questions being presented to him at once. He is a rookie teacher, after all. Dad has the same problems before when he first started, if what I have overheard is correct.

"Okay, okay! One at a time! My quirk isn't Super Hearing!" He tells us, before pulling out a piece of paper from his belt, "Listen up! Here's the deal: The Villains are will be hiding a nuclear weapon in the hideout, and the Heroes have to go in and take care of it! The Heroes will have a limited amount of time to either capture the Villains or secure the weapon. The Villains must either capture the Heroes, or protect the weapon until time is up. And your partners will be decided by…"

From behind his cape, he pulls out an entire lotto box. "Drawing lots!" Okay… where did he-No, wait. Don't go there. That way leads to madness…

"Is that _really_ the best way?!" Iida asked in shock.

"It makes sense." Midoriya being the voice of reason here, "Because Pros often have to team up with other Heroes from multitude of agencies on the spot during emergencies."

"Ah, I see! I apologize for getting ahead of myself! My mistake!"

"It's fine! Let's get on with it then!"

One by one, we all drew our lots and soon we all are paired up with one another. The teams are as follows:

Team A is Midoriya with Uraraka. Team B is Todoroki with Shouji. Team C is Yaoyorozu with Tokoyami. Team D is Bakugou with Iida (Poor guy…). Team E is Ashido with Aoyama. Team F is Koda with Satou. Team G is Jirou with Kaminari. Team H is Asui with Me. Team I is Ojiro and Hagakure (Whose costume I'm not sure if it is lewd because she is literally wearing nothing besides gloves and boots. Not to mention the question of if she is really naked or not). And finally, Team J is Sero with Kirishima.

"Pleasure working with you, Kero." Asui greets me, I replied back with a smile.

"Moving on!" All Might then reaches his hands into two more lotto boxes that have came out of somewhere, "The first match-ups will be…!" He pulls out two balls and reads out, "The Heroes will be Team A! The Villians with be Team D!"

Oh boy, this isn't going to end well. Midoriya and Bakugou aren't exactly on the best of terms, the explosive kid is obviously a bully of his. If he is given the go to literally bash his face in, Bakugou will probably goes overboard just to spite him.

"The Villain Team will go in first!" Our teacher explains, "The timer starts in five minutes, when the Hero Team sneaks in. The rest of us will watch via CCTV!"

With that said, we are ushered into the building where we are supposed to watch the entire match play out.

* * *

The first match was… let's just say it is way more intense that it could have been.

The beginning was pretty obvious from the start. Bakugou is way too prideful to work with Iida, add his own animosity against Midoriya and he predictability split off to do his own thing. And that is attack the Hero Team head on, mostly Midoriya.

But I've got to say, Midoriya can really hold his own in a fight. His moves are amateurish, but he definitely knows how to read Bakugou like a book, countering his second attack and even throwing him over him and onto his back. Bad form, but you can't argue with the results.

That changes immediately once Bakugou brought out the big guns, in a literal sense as he actually took out an entire floor of that building using his support item. After that, it was Midoriya who is getting completely pummeled by him, tossing him left and right. Regardless of his prideful and arrogant personality, that guy is definitely at the top of the charts in terms of combat strength. His instinct, quirk, it's on the level of a genius.

On the flip side, Iida's match with Uraraka is much less intense, and somewhat hilarious on how our serious student is trying so hard to out on a villain façade that it came off so forced to the point of freaking villain of the day in the old Tokusatsu shows. Despite that, he has taken measures against Uraraka's quirk of zero gravity which greatly decreases her chances of even passing him. Good move on his part.

The match eventually came to an end when in a final clash with Midoriya and Bakugou, in which the green haired kid uses his quirk at full force for the first time since the entrance exam and punches up, blowing a hole right to the top from the sheer force of his strike. That in turn give Uraraka a chance to distract Iida with a rubble barrage and takes the weapon, winning the match.

That, unlucky, doesn't mean they really won the match.

"The MVP of this match goes to Iida!"

"Iida? Not Midoriya or Ochako? Even though they won?" Asui asked.

"That's right!" All Might confirmed, "Now, does anyone here knows why?"

"I do, All Might-sensei." Yaoyorozu stated, "It's because Iida is the only one that adapted the most to the scenario. From what I saw, Bakugou's every action was motivated by an obvious grudge. And as you mentioned before, sensei, using such destructive attacks indoors are foolish. Midoriya's performance suffers from the same result. Uraraka lost focus halfway through. Not only that, her final attack is way too haphazard. If the nuclear bomb was real, such an attack would prove catastrophic."

"Iida, on the other hand, formed a counter-strategy and he envisioned what the actual struggle would be like. He was only too late in reacting at the very end. The Hero Team only won because this is a training exercise with exploitable constraints."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Damn, Yaoyorozu. That's one heck of a wrap-up. It has stunned everyone silent! Even All Might seems surprised!

"W-Well, Iida is also a bit too stiff, but… yes. That is absolutely correct…"

With that, the battle trial continues in a heartbeat. Next bout was Team B as the Hero Team against Team I as the Villain Team at a different building. And it was over before anyone knows it. For one, Todoroki's quirk is way overpowered for a high school student! With his ice powers, he manages to freeze the entire building in a single moment. From that, taking the weapon is just as easy as walking up to it and touching it.

But damn, does he really have the freeze the _whole_ building? I can feel the chill from here!

"Alright! Next up will be…" All Might reaches into the two ballots, pulling out two more balls, "Team H as the Heroes, and Team J as the Villains!"

I turned to my partner, the frog girl gave a nod in acknowledgement. We have a lot of prep work to do.

* * *

Sitting outside, we look over the floor plans provided by All Might. For a simple training exercise, they really went all out in the construction of the buildings. Our building is five stories high, with each floor consists of between 3 to 5 rooms, each room around 10m high and 20m wide and long.

"Looks like we have to search floor by floor, kero." Asui… croaked. I struggle to keep my squeal in check at how cute the way she is talking. I've never thought frogs could be this cute before! "But we don't have much time to search the entire building. Any ideas, Tatsuya-san?"

"Huh? Oh! A-Ahem!" I let out a cough to keep my fawning in check, "In this case, we should split up. I'll head in first by the main entrance and scout out the floors first. Once I find the bomb, I'll radio you and you'll enter from a back entrance. Think you can find some other way in?"

"Kero." She nods (How can she make croaking sounds so cute~?!), "I'll be counting on you, Tatsuya-san."

"Just call me Genko."

"In that case, you can call me Tsuyu-chan."

"Right, Tsuyu-chan." I smiled, "Keep in touch." I put on my helmet-mask and grab a battery from my belt and charges up.

And with a deep breath, I'm off.

I rockets down the hallways, checking every room I passes by. Once one floor is finished with nothing to show for it, I go upstairs and repeat the process. So far, the first three floors are completely empty, void of any signs of people or traps, which is odd considering Sero's quirk of tape from his forearm. They would definitely use it to lay at least some traps, but to see nothing? That's either they lack the time to do so, or they are confident enough to not require traps.

But the moment I reached the fourth floor, things starts to get complicated. I barely manage to stop myself before I nearly run right into the web of tapes right when I climbed up the stairs. Talk about a close call! A few steps late and I'll be all tangled up and ripe for a bashing.

On the bright side, it is confirmed that they are in this floor.

But which room is the question of the day… The tapes are almost everywhere, leaving very little room for people to maneuver. Guess they're going with the barricade tactic here, which is really bad for me as passing through the webs of tape to search the rooms will take way too much time. Time will be over before we find the bomb!

Okay, Genko. Think! What could be used to our advantage here? If indoor is no good, how else can we search?

Then it hit me! All the rooms in this building has windows! And if Asui–I mean…Tsuyu's quirk is frog-related…

I quickly phone in on my transceiver, "Tsuyu-chan, over."

" _Receive, Genko-chan."_

"Can you climb on walls?"

" _I can."_

"Good, because I need you to help me search the fourth floor's windows." I tell her, "The hallways are booby-trapped with Sero-san's tapes and I can't move much from where I am."

" _Kero. Understand. I'll check it out."_

With that, I cut out transmission and waited. They have to be on this floor. The stairs upward aren't trapped, which means that the bomb has to be here. I paced a little, almost anxiously as the waiting time grows longer and longer. Tsuyu… please or please find it…!

" _Genko-chan. I found the bomb."_

Her sudden transmission nearly startled me but her words brought me much joy. "Where?!"

" _Fifth floor, the inner most room from the stairs on the left."_

The one right pass all the tape… should have noticed that sooner. But this still changes nothing. I'm still stuck in the tape-filled hallways without a way to even bypass them. What to do… what to do…?

"Genko-chan."

I turned to the voice, from the staircase's window poked out the frog girl's head, "Over here."

"Tsuyu-chan?" Then another idea struck my head, "Tsuyu-chan, how heavy can you lift with your tongue?"

"My limit is 100kg. Why?"

"Then hear me out. I've got a plan."

* * *

"They sure are taking their time…" Kirishima noted, "I thought with Tatsuya's speed, they would made it up here by now."

"Maybe the tape got them." Sero stated, "It's pretty hard to miss."

Oh boy, how wrong they are.

As I am currently dangling outside via Tsuyu's tongue.

My plan is a really simple one. With how much tape Sero used to booby trap the hallway, they must not have thought about the windows as a possible entryway. As such, I had Tsuyu hoist me out of the building so that we can infiltrate from the outside via said window.

Although, I've got to admit, being held so high up is kind of freaking me out a little.

"Say, Kirishima. What is with you and Tatsuya yesterday?"

"Huh?"

"Come on, we were there too, you know. When you ask her out and she waves you off?"

"Oh, that. Nothing much, just wanting to treat her to some ramen, that's all."

"Never would have thought you would be into blondes."

"Nah, it's not like that." He tells his partner, "I just owe her one. Thought to try and pay her back somehow."

"But you got admit, she has one hell of a body."

"Come on, man. Don't talk about her like that!"

Okay… this guy talk has gone way too long for my taste.

I motioned to Tsuyu, my hand raised with three fingers shown. She nods as I start counting down.

3…

2…

1!

"KNOCK KNOCK!" With a sharp swing of her tongue, I crash right through the window a good distance away from the bomb and our Villain Team. Preforming a recovering roll, I got back up and rummages my belt for another battery, "Sorry to crash the party!" I clench my fist around it as I charges up.

"Kirishima!"

"Got it!"

The redhead hardens his fists and charges towards me. I dodge his punch and took a running start towards the bomb, only jump out of the way of Sero's tape that nearly caught my foot and leap away from before dodging another swipe from Kirishima's harden hand.

He then launches a rush of punches towards me, I dodging them the best way I could. But unluckily, there's one I couldn't dodge and it slams right into my crossed arm that I manages to put up to guard, skidding me back a few meters. Talk about brute strength! His hardening quirk sure is advantages in a brawl.

Sero then launches a tape right at me, which got me in my arm. I reach out to try and pry the tape off, only to get my other hand taped up as well. "Caught you now, Hero!"

Looking at both tapes and noticing that they are still connected to Sero's arm, an idea popped into my head. I lean back and thrust myself forward towards Sero. He couldn't react in time as I leap and slams both of my feet into his chest, knocking him away and down on the ground.

"Sero!" Kirishima rushes at me, his hand hardens as he swipes it at me. Using this as an opportunity, I jump back, letting the harden hand cut through the tape like a razor. The release of tension nearly cost me my balance as I fumble backwards before regaining my balance just barely in time to duck from a hook from the redhead.

I leap away to gain some distance, raising my hands up in a boxing stance as I feel my charge starting to run out. Kirishima followed suit with a similar stance, Sero getting up and joining him on his side with arms spread out ready to shoot another tape at me.

I skid forward a bit, they following suit. And then, just as Kirishima is about to rush towards me-

" _Match over!"_ All Might's loud boisterous voice echoes from the intercoms, _"The Hero Team wins!"_

"Wait, what?!" Sero looked around confused, "What do you–?!"

"Kero."

They turned around and saw the reason. Next to the 'bomb', there stood Tsuyu with her hand touching the prop.

"You're the distraction…" He noted in surprise, "And we fell for it."

"Guilty as charged~!" I giggled tearing the tape off, "Brain beats brawn any day."

Allow me explain! Just infiltrating from the window is just the first step of my plan. The very moment I crash into the room, step two officially commence. You see, when I'm engaging both Kirishima and Sero, their attention is fully on me. That allows Tsuyu to sneak in without notice and secure the payload unopposed.

My job is to make sure their attention remains on me long enough for her to reach the bomb, which in the end succeeded!

"Never saw that coming." Kirishima noted with a sigh, "Man, and I thought we had you on the ropes…"

"You actually did." I added on massaging my sore forearm, bruising already starting to appear, "You really pack a punch, Kirishima-san."

"Oh, crap! Is your arm okay?!"

"Nothing's broken. Just a little bruising, is all."

"Man, I never thought you would go through the window…" Sero noted, "How did you even get outside?"

Tsuyu answers by jumping onto the ceiling and sticking there. They both looked up, and nodded in acknowledgement.

* * *

"Well done, everyone!" All Might congratulate us as everyone else finishes their match-ups. "No serious injuries, apart from Midoriya-shounen! Great teamwork, though! You all did splendidly, considering this was your first training exercise!"

"You know, coming after Aizawa-sensei, such a straight-forward class is almost kind of a letdown…" Tsuyu points out, we all nodding in response.

"We teachers are free to hold no-nonsense classes if we choose!" The top hero explains, "Now, I'm off to give Midoriya his evaluation! Change out of those costumes and head back to the classroom!"

With that, he rushes off down the tunnel before any of us can say anything. Talk about being in a rush…! What's the emergency, I wonder?

"Genko-chan." Tsuyu walks up to me while everyone else walks back down the tunnel to the lockers, "Are you sure you don't want to get your arm checked out?"

"Nah, it's fine." I assures her, "I'll just rub some cream over it when I get home."

"You sure?" Kirishima chimes in, "It might be best to just check it out."

"It's fine! Relax!" I laughed, punching forward as a demonstration, "See? Nothing broken! You give yourself way too much credit, Kirishima-san."

"If you say so…"

And with that, our first heroic class ended on a high note.

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Omake**

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Okay, seriously, how did this happen?" I asked curiously.

"I think you should know the answer to this by now." Taikou noted.

I looked up at the victim on the tree, "Hey! Are you okay, Shinsou?!"

"Yeah. Just hanging on." He noted.

"Do you seriously have to climb up there?" Taikou asked, "I mean, it's obvious the cat isn't trapped!"

"I know, but I just has to be sure!"

As he said that, the cat he was trying to help meowed as he looks up from the root of the tree.

* * *

 **There! Finished! Quick, aren't I?! So yes, Battle Trials Arc finished in one chapter! Not that it has much to do, anyway.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The dangers of paparazzi**

* * *

It's another morning and another day of school. But unfortunately, getting to school kind of got… complicated. Unlike the previous days where we are able to get into school with little to no trouble, today is where it got trickier. From what I can tell, someone must have let it slip that All Might is teaching at Yuuei, and the mass media being the ever nosy and persistent group of individuals they are, decides to hound the school entrance for hopes of even getting a scoop on this event.

And that leads to us just standing a block away awkwardly as me, Taikou and Shinsou all looked at the massive crowd of journalist that is blocking our way in. We have saw them hound on the other students like piranhas on fresh meat, a few of my classmates have already fall victim to it with Midoriya, Iida, Uraraka and even Bakugou being the most prominent of the bunch.

"What do we do?" I asked, "They are blocking the way in!"

"If I could use my quirk, I could fly us in…" Taikou noted.

"Maybe I should-"

"Don't you even think about it, Shinsou." I tell him sternly, "Brainwashing them is just going to make things worse."

"…Good point."

"So, that leaves…" We all stare at the sea of cameras and microphones. I let out a loud gulp before taking a deep breath. We turned to each other, nodding at the only remaining plan of action we could take.

Rush them.

"Run!" Taikou took point as we all charges right through them.

"Hey, you! We want to ask you some questions!" "Please wait! How is All Might as a teacher?!" "Why did he become a teacher?" "What is All Might's goal in becoming one?!"

Answers after answers barrage at us over and over, we ignoring them all as we rush right through. After a few agonizing seconds of dodging questions and microphones, we finally got through the gate and into the school grounds proper.

"Wait! Please! Just a few question-AH!"

We all turned around just in time to see the infamous Yuuei barrier closes right behind us. Got to love their security, go beyond and overkill. At least we don't have to worry about the paparazzi anymore. Nothing can get pass that barrier!

"If you are done gawking…"

I looked back with Aizawa standing there with his hands in his pockets with his ever-present look of exhaustion staring at us, "I believe homeroom is in an hour. To your classes, now!"

"Y-Yes sir!" We all dashes down towards our respective classes.

"So, that's your homeroom teacher?" Shinsou asked me, I nodding in response, "Must be quite an experience."

"You have no idea…"

* * *

I manage to made it to class a good half-hour before homeroom start, to my relief. And when I entered the classroom, it is obvious what the conversation topic for this morning is.

"Tatsuya-chan!" Hagakure calls out to me waving her invisible hand, "You're okay! I thought the paparazzi got to you!"

"Nearly did." I tells her as I sat down in my seat, "But if you ignore them enough, they probably won't pester you much."

"When I heard Heroes get a lot of attention, this isn't what I was expecting…" Sero noted, "I'm almost tempted to just use my tape and go over them."

"All Might sure attracts a lot of attention." Tsuyu stated, "It's only been two days since the start of the semester."

"For them to just crowd the entrance like that…" Kirishima muttered, "So unmanly!"

"I don't think that has anything to do with manly or not, Kirishima-san…" I tell him.

"Okay, everyone settle down." Aizawa walks into the classroom and everyone all sat down proper and silence filled the air. "Good work with yesterday's training. I've looked over your grades and evaluations."

And he proceeds to critique all of our actions. Todoroki for using his power too haphazardly, Sero and Kirishima for not taking note for other possible entrance point, Ashido for being too reckless, the list just goes on for most of the class. Even I got some sort of feedback off him. Too reckless and to think harder next time. Apparently, my plan of divide and conquer isn't a bad idea but the execution needs tweaking.

Then, came the real meat of his critique, his gaze almost drilling into the explosion teen's skull, "Bakugou. Grow up already. You have talent, so stop wasting them."

He could only growl in response, "Got it…"

"And… Midoriya." Said teen flinched at the mention of his name, "It seems you yet again ended up with a broken arm. Learn to control you quirk. Just trying isn't going to cut it. I hate repeating myself, but you DO have potential, assuming you can overcome this. Work at it."

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Alright. On to homeroom business." Our teacher stated, "Sorry for the sudden announcement, but today…"

We all waiting anxiously for the bomb to drop. What is it this time? Another last-minute test like last time?

"You'll pick a class president."

""" **So school-like!"""**

One by one, or all at once, everyone all volunteer for the position, shouting out their desire to be president. I personally just sat down and puts my hand on the table. Being a class president isn't something I wish to do in my first year, especially when we hardly know anything about each other.

"Quiet down, everyone!" The noise stopped as Iida continues, "Leading the many is a task of heavy responsibility… But! Ambition does not equal to ability! This sacred office demands the trust of its constituents. If this is to be a democracy, then I put forward the motion that our true leader must be chosen by election!"

""Aren't you the most ambitious?!"" That statement is very well be true, considering how high his arm is raised compared to what he just said.

"Why would you even suggest that?" Kaminari asked.

"We haven't even known each other long to build any trust, Iida-chan." Tsuyu points out.

"And everyone would just vote for themselves!" Kirishima added on.

"That is precisely why anyone who manages to earn multiple votes will be the best suited individual for the job!" Iida explains, "Will you allow it, sensei?!"

"Sure, whatever…" Aizawa stated groggily as he crawls into his sleeping bag, "Just make it quick…" And with that, he is snoozing away.

After passing out pieces of paper for us to vote for, we all wait anxiously for the results. I choose to help out with counting to votes in the ballot box, "Okay! Time to count the votes!" I declare as I reaches into the box, "And the first one is… Midoriya."

"Huh?! M-Me?!"

"Okay, that's one…" I marked it down before reaching back in, "And… Yaoyorozu. Then… Kirishima. Jirou. Shouji. Hagakure. Ojiro. Bakugou. Ashido. Koji. Satou. Yaoyorozu again! Looks like someone is popular~!" Her blushing face tells me all before I continue to count, "And-oh, there's one for me. Okay… Aoyama. Midoriya, two votes down! Tokoyami. Sero. Kaminari. Tsuyu-chan. And the last one is… oh, who would have guessed it? Midoriya got three votes!"

"W-What, I got- what?!"

"What in the- Who voted for Deku?!"

"Well, it's settled then! Midoriya is our class president!" I announced.

"M-Me?! I-I…!"

"Now, vice-president time! Everyone, place your votes!"

In the end, we got Midoriya as Class President and Yaoyorozu as Vice Class President.

* * *

"You guys picked your class president yet?" I asked Taikou and Tetsutetsu as Pony returns with her lunch with Kirishima and Tsuyu in tow. I invited the frog girl since we hit off quite well after the whole Battle Trial yesterday while the redhead somewhat ambushed me once we are released for our lunch break, wanting to have lunch with me. All we need now is Shinsou but I never saw him in school grounds.

"Yeah, Kendo Itsuka." Taikou noted slurping his udon. "Kind of fits. She's rather… well…"

"Is she a redhead?"

"Yeah." Tetsutetsu noted.

"T-That has nothing to do with it!"

"Is there something I'm missing here?" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah, what is with Taikou and redheads?" Pony asked curiously.

"Taikou actually has a thing for redheads." I tell them despite his agonizing groans in the background, "Found an entire stack of porno of the same category under his bed once."

"Dude, your girlfriend found your porno stash?!" Tetsutetsu cried in shock.

"Okay, misunderstanding here. That stack was one of the tenants in my uncle's apartment who think it would be funny to hide his stash under MY bed!" Taikou stated angrily, "Seriously, Genko. I thought we were over this!"

"Never." I chuckle. He should know by now that I'll never stop teasing him over this.

Then the last part of Tetsutetsu's statement finally hits me, "Wait, what do you say? I am Taikou's girlfriend?"

"Aren't you?"

"Oh, heavens no!" I stated in shock, "Dating him is the last thing I'll ever do!"

"Same here!" Taikou agrees with me, "She's basically family to me! Who would want to date family?!"

"Really?" Pony asked in surprise, "You two seems so close, though!"

"Family, Pony-chan." I tell her, "That's as close as we are ever going to get."

"You two seems closer than family, though." Tsuyu points out.

"We literally grew up together!" I stated, "Heck, I've seen this guy naked so many times that I'm not even fazed by it!"

"Is that something a girl should be saying out loud…?" Kirishima noted.

Just as I am about to retort to that-

 ***VVRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!*  
*VVRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!*  
*VVRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!***

Everyone stopped what they are doing when a loud siren rang and echoes across the entire cafeteria.

 _ **[SECURITY LEVEL 3 HAS BEEN BROKEN]**_ An electronic voice announces over the intercoms, _**[ALL STUDENTS, PLEASE EVACUATE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION] [REPEAT, SECURITY LEVEL 3–]**_

"What's level 3?" Kirishima asked as most of the other students all rushes towards the exit almost immediately.

"It means someone infiltrated the school!" A random upperclassman answers for us, "You freshmen hurry and get out of here now!"

"Infiltrated?!" Taikou cried, "Someone got passed that metal barrier?!"

"Then we better move!" Tetsutetsu noted as we all rushed out of our seats towards the exit along with several others.

Unluckily for us, this is Yuuei; top hero school in the nation, which in turns means their students are top tier in terms of responding to a crisis. That is a double-edged thing to have in this scenario as pretty much everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, have reacted in the exact same way at the exact same time, resulting in a clusterfuck of students all crowding and smushing against each other in an attempt to get away.

That includes us, as we are all dragged along unwillingly by the sea of grey and white.

"Damn it, guys, seriously?!" Kirishima shouted out in agony as he along with Tetsutetsu and Taikou are dragged along the ride, separating from the rest of us. Me, Tsuyu and Pony are stuck near the sides, our bodies being squeezed against the wall as the other students scrambling pass us.

"Ah! Tetsutetsu-san!" Pony cried out.

"Gah! This is getting ridiculous!" I groaned out as the horse girl's horn nearly slams into me for the tenth time in the past minute.

"AAAHH~! Someone help!" I turned to the familiar voice screaming out, to see Midoriya getting sweep away into the sea of people and coming towards where we are. Acting fast, I reach out my hand and grabs onto his wrist just as he passes me, "Ah! Tatsuya-san!"

"Just hang on-Oh no!" I then felt myself getting pulled along as well, Pony just barely manages to grab onto my thighs as both us tries our best to stay together in this massive ocean of bodies.

"I can't hold on much longer…" Pony grunts out.

"This is bad! Really bad!" Midoriya stated out, "Everyone is too much in a panic!"

"We need to calm everyone down!" I stated out.

And just as I said that, I heard engine roaring and the image of Iida spinning towards the exit in the air came to vision. He slams right into the wall, grabbing hold on the pipe for stability and with a loud and bold voice, "EVERYONE! EVERYTHING'S FINE! It's just the press! There's nothing to panic about! We're fine! This is Yuuei! Behave in a way befitting this great institution!"

That got everyone to calm down almost immediately, the crowd instantly stopped pushing one and another and everyone starts moving out orderly manner.

* * *

Soon enough, we all got out of the jam-packed hallway and onto another hallway where everyone splits up to their proper classes, I letting go Midoriya's hand immediately after we got out, he leaving to catch up with Uraraka and Iida. I took a deep breath to replenish myself. Thought I was actually going to drown in there. Got to thank Iida for what he had did.

"Pony-chan, you can let go of me now."

"Um… Genko-chan?"

I looked at Pony confused, whose hands are free and not on me, and Tsuyu who is pointing down towards my legs. I glance down, to see a small boy with purple balls for hair and is rubbing his face against my spandex-clad thighs.

"So… So soft and wonderful…" He moans out to my disgust, which I immediately response by grabbing the pervert by his head and tosses him across the hall as hard as I can.

"What a creep…!" I shuddered in disgust as I rubbed my thigh to try and rub his presence off of me. Never am I glad for wearing spandex under my skirt since junior high…

And then I realized that I can't remove my hand from my thigh. No matter how much I budge, it would not move. Looking back down, I notice a purple ball like the ones on that little creep's head sticking my hand to my thigh. What in the…? What is this thing?! I can't get it off!

"What's wrong?" Tsuyu asked.

"This thing won't come off!" I groaned out pulling on my hand.

"Hey, Tatsuya! Tsunotori! Asui!" Kirishima called out as he walks toward us with Tetsutetsu and Taikou in tow along with. Where did he came from? "Are you guys alright?!" He then notices my predicament, "What's wrong with her?"

"Mineta was just here." Pony tells them with a slight shudder, "Rubbing his face on Genko-san's legs…"

"WHAT?!" Taikou screams out in anger, "Where did he go?! That little perverted fuck!"

"Dude, chill out." The redhead tells him worriedly, "You looks like you're about to blow a gasket."

"…And you guys are NOT a couple…?" Tetsutetsu asked.

"Brother and sister at most." I tell him, "And Taikou, tosses him right about that way." I pointed at where I've thrown him, "But one of his ball things is stuck to my leg and I can't get it off."

"Oh, that's Mineta's quirk." Our steel-named friend tells us, "It sticks to pretty much everything beside him. It'll come off, just not sure when…"

"So I'm stuck with this for the rest of the day?!"

"Most likely."

This day just keep getting weirder and weirder…

* * *

The police eventually came by to arrest the paparazzi, and the alarm went back down to level 0 as the school day continues as usual.

After that, we had a small meeting with Aizawa debriefing us on the whole Yuuei threat level system, and Midoriya stepping down as Class President in favor of Iida being in-charge, taking account on how he well has handles himself during the whole mess back in the hallway, which he accepts wholeheartedly once everyone commented on it as well, me included.

Then, for heroic class, we are to remain in class for Heroic Laws. For the Hero Course, our afternoon heroic classes are separated into two different types of classes, each alternating between even and odd days. For even days, it would be practical field work like yesterday's battle training. For odd days, it would be academics, like today's Heroic Laws.

The door soon slides open and the teacher walks in, which brought a smile to my face when I saw who it is.

"Good afternoon, Class 1-A." Dad walks in wearing a black business suit minus the tie and with a walking stick with wings accessories on the handle courtesy of yours truly, "My name is Tatsuya Maki, and I'll be teaching you Heroic Laws today." He glanced at me for a moment, before his eyebrow raised a little when he saw my hand still stuck to my thigh.

"Oh my god, it's Hermes!" I heard Midoriya muttered from behind me, "He is most known as the fastest hero in the nation, ranked 100th in the hero rankings for twenty years straight! And holds the record for the most number of people saved that still stands to this day! And he is most famous for-"

"Okay, Midoriya-kun, calm down there." He tells the excited fanboy, "When All Might told me about you, I wasn't expecting a trivia on myself…"

"But I've heard you retired almost ten years ago."

"That I did." He patted his injured leg. Is it acting up again? "But Principal Nezu calls me and ask me to join the faculty as a teacher, to share my experience with the future generation."

"After almost an hour of persuasion…" I mutter to myself.

"But that's not what I'm here for today." He places a book on the table and turn to us, "As you know, being a Hero has plenty of benefits. From the fame and glory of it all, to its most practical of allowing the usage of one's quirk in the public domain. But, with it come with its own set of rules and guidelines, one that if crossed would spell the end of your hero career. For example…"

"Bakugou." The teen face him as Dad, no, Hermes-sensei, stares right at him, "I've seen the footage of yesterday's battle trials. What you did to Midoriya, even if it's not intentional, it WILL land you in prison and more if you are a certified hero out in the field. Even if you are authorized to use it, using your Quirk for such brutal violence is against the very law that bring about Heroes to begin with. I know Aizawa might have not gone into much elaboration, but if you ever did such a thing again, we have the right to expel you from Yuuei. Is that clear?"

"…Crystal…"

Dad is really laying into him… Never seen him this upset since that time I nearly broke someone's nose back in elementary school…

"With that in mind, I would first like to explain the first and most known criminal offense of the heroic career: Quirk Violence." He proceeds to being writing on the blackboard with the chalk, "Heroes are permitted to use their quirks to take down and defeat Villains. But, there is a fine line between heroic deeds and plain out brutal violence. Of course, you are not allowed to kill, and some heroes took advantage of this loophole and acted in less heroic manner."

"The best example of this, Endeavor." I notice Todoroki flinched as dad continues on, "He may have the greatest number of arrests since the introduction of Heroes, but he also has some of the most lawsuits against him. During the start of his career, he has torched a good chunk of Villains, no matter how small they are. This resulted in countless lawsuits filed against him, but were in the end dealt with by his lawyers."

"Now, don't get me wrong. I don't think Endeavor is a bad Hero. He is ranked two for a reason. But he has skid over the law time and time again, which has brought up somewhat of a bad rep." He stops writing and turn to us, the blackboard now filled with a chart, "With that said, let us look over what the law against Quirk Violence actually represents. Turn your textbooks to page 3."

Mineta's purple ball drop off right when the class ended.

* * *

Soon enough, school is over and I am packed up and ready to go home. Although I'll be eating out today. Dad has told me right when class ended that he would be staying late tonight dealing with a few small issues and mom wouldn't be back till the morning, her current case needing much more work to deal with.

Not the first time this has happen, the first time was back in elementary and I had dinner with Taikou and Kemuri, who treated us to some donburi where I had my first taste of tendon, got hooked on it ever since.

But unlike that time, Taikou is busy with helping out Kemuri with some stuff. And Shinsou left school earlier, the General Course having less periods than the Heroic Course.

"Hey, Genko!" Kirishima walks up to me with a grin, "Want to grab a bite with me?"

"…You really aren't going to let this go, huh?" I stated, "I thought lunch was enough."

"Yeah, but you pay for your own meal so…"

"…Alright, you win." I sigh, "Where's this ramen shop of yours?"

"Oh, right before the station." He beamed at my answer, "We might beat the crowd if we hurry!"

"Right, right, just let me get my bags."

* * *

As we left the campus, we passed by the entrance gate, which was sealed off due to the barrier being disintegrated. That would explain how the press even got through… But would a normal journalist even have a quirk to do such a thing?

"Damn, look at that…" Kirishima noted, "I wonder what could have did this?"

"I don't know…" I stated, "But it is giving me a bad feeling…"

Little did I know, that this little thing will soon come to a head, and I would blame myself for not noticing the signs beforehand…

…

 _To be continued…_

 **Omake**

"So, where's this shop?" Genko asked curiously on their way to the station.

"Just right around the corner." Kirishima told her as they turn the block, "Right there! Lucky, it looks like there are still some seats left!"

"Okay, let's see if this shop is any good." She was about to walk in before she saw the poster on the window.

"…Um… Tatsuya-san?"

"Oh, it is on now." She stated with a grin as she reads the ad for the food challenge.

…

"We have a winner!"

Kirishima could only gawked in either awe or fear as the waiter raises his companion's hand, her large bowl completely empty and her mouth greasy from eating the mountain of noodles she was presented with.

 **And yes! Second chapter in a day! And what a day it is! Never thought I would actually finish the second one so quickly! Then again, this only consists of one single chapter from the manga so I guess that makes sense. Anyway, Kirishima and Tsuyu joins the gang! I hope I nail Kirishima's personality alright… he is one of my favourite character from this show. And Mineta made an appearance!**

 **With any case, the whole Heroic Laws part. That part I add in myself. In the manga, it was stated off-hand that there is a class for it but it wasn't really shown in the manga. As such, I decided to make it Maki's subject to teach.**

 **Hopefully I have done it well. Law isn't something I've studied myself so most of it is just stuff I made up.**

 **And something I want to know. Are the omake okay, or are they an annoyance? And if they are, how do you want them to be? I'm open to suggestions!**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Battle of USJ**

* * *

It's a few days since that incident with the press, Tuesday of next week.

The last week was pretty normal compared to the first three, with practical Hero training being sparring between classmates in which I completely dominated Bakugou when we are paired together. That felt so good! Later that weekend, I invited Tsuyu out for a trip to the movies, effectively having my first real Girl's Day Out. We talk a lot about each other, like how her parents are hardly around due to work leaving her to take care of her younger siblings. She even shows me her friend from Junior High, a girl with a python's head which I find both bizarre and cute at the same time.

But now we're back in school after some rest, and are now awaiting our first practical heroic class for the week.

"For today's Basic Hero training…" Aizawa yawns a little before continuing on, "This time, All Might, myself and one other is going to be supervising."

"Um, what are we doing exactly?" Sero asked.

"Preparing you all for disaster relief." He tells us drawing out a card from his pocket to show us, the words [RESCUE] written in bold on it, "From fires to floods. It's Rescue Training."

"Rescue… huh…?" "Sounds like another rough day." "Come on! This is what being a Hero is all about! I'm so pumped!"

Murmurs pops up left and right as we all are either excited or anxious over the new class, me included. Rescue, that's what Heroes are most known for. Not fighting bad guys all the time but instead rescuing civilians from disaster, crossfire, etc. And it's going to be my first time learning how to do it!

"I'm NOT done." Aizawa stated sternly, his hair flows up as his glare turns red a little. When we all calmed down, he continues as he presses a button to reveal our costume cases in the walls, "It's up to each of you whether or not you wear your costumes, as some of them are ill-suited to this sort of activity." I glanced at Bakugou at that statement, he notices and huffs away angrily, "The training site is a bit remote, so we'll be going by bus. That's all. Please get ready."

* * *

A few moments later, after we all have suited up in our respective costumes (except for Midoriya whose costume is still under repair from his bout against Bakugou; he choosing to wear his gym uniform with bits and pieces of his original costume), we all board the bus to our new training site.

Iida, for how enthusiastic he is for being Class President, took it upon himself to try and usher us in a proper and orderly manner, only to fail when the bus isn't the standard layout as he originally thought it would be.

"Darn it! It was this kind of bus…!"

"All that for nothing, huh?" Ashido noted with a giggle.

I ended up seating right behind Bakugou next to Todoroki, he taking the outmost seat while I took the window one.

"I generally say what's on my mind." Tsuyu noted, "Midoriya-chan."

"Y-Yeah! What is it, Asui-san?"

"Please, call me Tsuyu-chan." She assures him before pointing out, "Your quirk somewhat resembles All Might's, doesn't it?"

"R-R-R-Really?!" Midoriya starts to pale at the comparison, "It's not-I mean, what I'm trying to…!"

"Hold up, Tsuyu. All Might doesn't get hurt whenever he uses it." Kirishima noted, "They are already different in that aspect. But that sort of simple strength-enhancing quirk is awesome! You can do a lot of cool stuff with it! Unlike say, my Hardening." He solidifies his arm as a demonstration, "It's great in a fight, but it's pretty boring."

"That's not true." I tell him standing up from my seat, "You could always go all Juggernaut with it!" The image of Kirishima in the Juggernaut costume pops into my head and let loose a few giggles, "Now that I think about it, it would fit you so well! You should definitely go with it when you go Pro!"

"What's a… Juggernaut?" He asked curiously.

"…Tomorrow, I'm bringing my X-men collection. Be damned the rules." I stated firmly sitting down. These people, do even not know about the good oldies…

"Speaking of Pro, we're going to find a way to appeal to the public too, don't we?" Kaminari noted.

"If it's appeal, my Navel Laser is both strong AND cool." Aoyama stated, "Perfect for a Pro."

"As long as you don't blow up your own stomach in the process!" Ashido added on, the blonde teen glaring back at the retort with a somewhat degrative smile, "But you are talking about strong and cool, it has to be Todoroki and Bakugou."

"Yeah, but Bakugou-chan is so unhinged." Tsuyu noted, "He'd never be popular."

"WHAT'D SAY, FROG FACE?!"

"See?"

"It's only been the second week and already you've made it abundantly clear to us the unpleasantness of your steamed turd of a personality." Kaminari voices out, which Bakugou responding with…

"Yeah, okay, Mr. Vocabulary. How about I pound you to pieces?!"

"And you are considered our top student, how…?" I muttered to myself. Like seriously, for someone who aced the entrance exam (I've checked with dad once just out of curiosity), he sure doesn't act like it. I wonder if there's a psychologist on campus for such cases…?

* * *

 **""IS THIS USJ?!""**

I'm not sure if it's Kirishima or me who said it, but that phrase is perfect for the large training site we are in right now. The entire dome is several sizes of the Tokyo Dome, in it filled with different areas of various disaster climates. Flooded cities, landslides, burning buildings, you name it, they got it.

"Flood Zone, Landslide Zone, Conflagration Zone, etc." Our latest teacher, one Space Hero: Thirteen, explains to us in his… her…? I'm going with his. HIS astronaut gear, "Every disaster and accident you can imagine. I build this facility myself. I call it…"

"The [Unforeseen Simulation Joint]!"

Huh? It's really is USJ. Who would have thought it?

"Wah! It's the Space Hero, Thirteen!" Midoriya gushes on, "He's a gentleman who does his best work in rescue scenarios!"

And it's a HE! Thank you for the confirmation, Midoriya!

"Ooh~! I LOVE Thirteen!" Uraraka cheers on excitedly bouncing up and down, "He's the coolest!"

"Thirteen, where's All Might?" Aizawa asked before the two heroes went silent as hushed whispers are exchanged between the two, Thirteen raising three fingers for some reason. A few more whispers later, Aizawa turns to us, "So be it… Let's get started."

"Ah! But before we do, I have a one or two… three, four… five? Six… seven…"

"That's a lot of points…" Someone murmurs in the background as the space hero counts down all his fingers.

"As I'm sure many of you are aware…" Thirteen turns to us continuing, "My quirk is called Black Hole. It can suck in and tear apart anything."

"Yes! And you've used it to save people in all sorts of disasters!" Midoriya helpfully added in.

"Indeed. But, it can also easily _kill_." He points out, the atmosphere turns grim all of the sudden, "I've no doubt there are some among you with similar powers." My mind immediately went to Todoroki, Midoriya and Bakugou, "In our superpowered society, the use of quirks is heavily restricted and monitored. It may seem like a stable system to many, but we must never forget that one wrong move with uncontrollable quirk is all it takes for someone to _die_."

He is right. If Todoroki is just a few margins off during the Battle Training, he could end up freezing both Ojiro and Hagakure solid, causing serious and reversable damage to their bodies. Or if Bakugou didn't aim well and ended up hitting Midoriya, the poor kid would die. Same with Midoriya, whose punch could easily smash through buildings!

Just one wrong move, ONE, and they end up being murderers.

"In Aizawa's physical fitness test, you came to learn of your own hidden potential."

"Through All Might's Battle Training, you experienced the danger that your respective quirks can pose to others."

"And in Tatsuya's Heroics Laws, you learn about the rules and restriction of quirk usage."

"So now, in my class, will show you a whole new perspective! You will learn how to utilize your quirks to save lives. Your powers aren't meant to inflict harm. I hope you leave here today with the understanding that you're meant to HELP people. That's all!" He took a gentleman bow towards us, "Thank you for listening!"

Everyone all starts clapping and cheering, clearly influenced by the speech. I am so glad we have Thirteen as our teacher for this class.

"Great." Aizawa noted leaning against the railings of the stairs leading into the training site, "First off…" He cut himself off when he glanced into the site. I, the ever-curious fellow, follow his line of sight to a small black spinning orb of smog in the center of the site. The orb grew in size, until a hand reaches out from within and grabs the edge of it.

From the orb, no, _portal_ , a face is seen as the black smog exploded in size.

And from that portal, people came walking out.

"Everyone, huddle up and don't move!" He screams out putting on his goggles and loosening his scarf-weapon, "Thirteen, protect the students!"

"Sensei, what are those things?!" Kirishima asked.

"Don't move! Those are Villains!"

That brought a chain reaction to everyone. I was left in shock and horror at the situation as Thirteen huddle us behind him, "V-Villains?! HERE?!"

"Sensei! Aren't there intruder sensors?!" Yaoyorozu asked the space hero.

"Yes, of course there are but…"

"Are they only here… or at the main building…?" Todoroki noted, getting mine and a few others attention, "Either way, if the sensors aren't working, it has to be one of their quirks that's doing it. This place is far from the campus, and they picked a time when there'd be few people here. These guys aren't dumb. For such a well-coordinated sneak attack, they must have some sort of objective."

"Thirteen! Begin the evacuation!" Aizawa shouts out, "Try to contact the school! One of these Villains must be jamming the sensors. There's a good chance one of their electric-types is causing an interference. Kaminari! Try using your quirk to signal for help!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" The blonde teen noted as he fiddles with his headset.

"But sensei, you can't fight them all alone!" Midoriya cried out, "Against so many… even you can't nullify ALL of their quirks! As Eraserhead, your fighting style has always involved erasure and a quick binding capture! A head-one assault is-"

"Midoriya." Aizawa readies his scarf for combat, "No true Hero is a one-trick pony. Thirteen! I'm leaving them with you." With that, our teacher leaps into the fray against the Villains.

"Kids, this way!" Thirteen took this opportunity to usher us towards the exit, which we all comply. We need to get help, Aizawa wouldn't be able to hold the line for long!

But just as we reach the exit… _"I won't allow it."_ The same black smog appears in front of us, blocking our way out. Now that it is closer, I notice the two yellow slits that seems to be its eyes, "Greetings. We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity, but… today we've come here to the prestigious Yuuei High, this bastion of heroism…"

"To end the life of the Symbol of Peace, All Might."

That last statement sent shivers down my spine. I've read many hero comics in my spare time for both inspiration and enjoyment, and whenever there's a Villain who has this much confident on killing the Hero, it usually means they have the actual means to do so. And the fact that they have the means to kill _All Might_ …

That cannot be good…

"We were under the impression that All Might would be in attendance today. But… is his schedule was revised?" The smog Villain _hummed_ , "Well, no matter. My role remains unchanged-"

And just as he finishes, Kirishima and Bakugou leap out and slams their respective attacks right at him. "Not if we end YOU first!" The redhead shouted out, "Bet you didn't see that coming!"

"Oh my, that was close…" The villain recollected himself back into the pile of smog in front of us, "That's right… students you may be, but you are the best among the best."

"No! Get back, you two!"

"BEGONE."

Thirteen's warning came too late as the smog envelopes us, I reaching into my pocket for a battery as blackness fills my vision.

"Writhe in torment, till you breathe your last!"

I could barely hear Iida's voice calling out for us before silence filled the air. I manage to fish out one battery and begin to absorb its charge, but then gravity starts to play a game with me as I suddenly felt the floor disappear from under me.

The black smoke clears up, and to my horror I started to fall. "AAHH!" I let out a loud scream before I felt my body crashing into something before sinking right into watery depths. The Flood Zone? That smog villain guy, is he a teleporter? I cover my mouth to try and stop my remaining air from escaping as I tries to swim to the surface.

"You're not going anywhere!"

I felt a hand grab onto my leg and pulls me back down, its owner is a blue-skinned fish-like human with mouth filled sharp teeth morphed into a predatory smile. He punches straight at me, I barely able to get my guard up but he punches under it and into my stomach hard, forcing the last remaining air out of my mouth.

My lungs start to feel constrained, water starts pouring in as another fist slam into my chin, forcing my head upwards which the villain uses as an opportunity to grab onto my neck, "Not my style to kill girls, but orders are orders!"

Just as my vision starts to dot with darkness as he begins to squeeze down on my windpipe, he suddenly let go. A slim arm wraps itself around my waist before I start moving along quickly in the water. A quick jerk later, I am hoisted upwards till my head breaking surface, air reentering my lungs via my nose forcing me to cough out some of the water.

"Are you alright, Genko-chan?"

Coughing out some more water, I turn my gaze to my savior, Tsuyu holding onto me by my waist.

"Y-Yeah… thanks for the save, Tsuyu-chan…"

Carrying me up, she climbs up the model ship, joining Midoriya on board.

"Thanks, Asui-san." He thanks her as she puts me down, I holding the railing for stability.

"Call me Tsuyu-chan." She tells him before adding on, "But we seem to still be in trouble here."

"Yeah, that Villain…" I noted, "They planned this attack knowing that All Might would be here. But how…?"

"The incident with press from last week…" Midoriya points out, "They caused it as a distraction to gather intel. It's like Todoroki said… they've been waiting for this chance, and prepared for it."

"They said they are here for All Might." Tsuyu added, "For them to announce it so boldly, they must have figured out a way to kill him. Otherwise, why come here only to get beaten?"

"It does seem that way…" I stated. All of this started a week ago, from that one incident with the press and the barrier… I should've noticed! The signs were there and I was too stupid to notice them! "What do we do now? Hold up until All Might gets here?"

"Not sure if we can, kero." Tsuyu noted, "Even if he makes it here, who can say that he won't be killed…"

My legs start to tremble a little when she said that. And it's not from the chill. "Then… what should we-"

*Splash*

"GET DOWN!"

Midoriya manages to push me and Tsuyu down onto the deck, just as a jet of water shoots out and crashes into the window next to us. A glance below and the situation is clear. We are completely outmanned, the villains encircling the boat effectively blocking any possible escape route. We are effectively trapped.

"We…" He pants out as we hid behind the cover of the railings, "If they… if there's even a chance that they have a way to beat All Might, then we have to fight, and WIN!"

I look back at him, his eyes somehow gaining a calculative edge to them. He is the type that analysis the situation before acting, think really hard before you leap kind of person. His usual muttering routine is a by-product of that.

If he is managing to keep his cool under all of this, why couldn't I?

"Those guys down there. They're clearly suited for aquatic combat, right?" He pointed out, Tsuyu and I nodded at the point.

"They must have recruited them with the USJ's different environment in mind." I stated.

"Exactly! Their intel told them that much. But with all that careful planning, one odd thing sticks out." He points at Tsuyu, "They zapped you into the Flood Zone, Asui-I mean… T-T-Tsuyu…-c-chan…"

"It's okay, take your time." She assures him.

"That's right!" The realization hits me in the head when he points it out, "With Tsuyu-chan's frog quirk, wouldn't it be better to send her to the flaming buildings? Or the blizzard area? So why send her here, where she is most advantageous?"

"That's exactly it. They don't know about her quirk in the first place!" He explained, "They have no idea what any of our quirks are, so their strategy was to scatter us and overwhelm us with numbers. That leaves us with one option for victory, to exploit the fact that they don't know our quirks. Look! They're not even trying to get aboard! That supports my theory!"

"In that case, we need to lay out everything we have on our quirks to everyone." I stated, "Leave nothing out."

"Then I'll go first." Tsuyu nodded, "I can jump really high, and stick to walls. My tongue can stretch up to a maximum of 20 meters. Also, I can spit up my stomach to clean it and secrete a poisonous fluid, which isn't actually all that poisonous. It really just stings a little. The last two aren't that useful, so you can forget about them."

Okay, got to say, Tsuyu has way more in her arsenal than I originally thought!

"Wow, you are strong… I've underestimated you." Midoriya noted before continuing, "Now me. I have… Super Strength, but it messes my body whenever I uses it. My quirk… it's a double-edged sword."

"Then you better not use your quirk, unless it is the last resort." I reached into my pocket and took out a battery, "I can absorb electricity from any appliance, as long as my palm and fingers including thumb are touching them." I clenched my hands around it and begin to absorb its power, "With it, I can move really fast, fastest is 100 miles per hour. But my brain isn't accelerated by it, so I have a tough time adjusting my movements unless it's pretty straight forward."

"Also, I can do this." Dropping the battery after sucking it dry, I cup my hands, just fingers touching. Slowly separating them, sparks and bolts flew between them with loud crack from each bolt, "From what I can tell, the electricity in my body travels in a circuit which I can make and disrupt using my hands. It doesn't matter if all the fingers touch, as long as some of them touch. But if separated too far, it stops." I move my hands to about two hands' length and the sparks stops, "So it's pretty much is useless for our situation."

"Not really!" Midoriya tells me, "I'm sure we can think of something-"

Just as he is able to finish his statement, something smashes right through our ship, breaking the vessel prop right into two and sending shockwaves through deck.

"Kero! So strong…!" Tsuyu croaked out as Midoriya hold her hand to keep her upright, "He split the boat in half!"

"We're running out of time…" He pointed out, "We need a plan, now!"

"That boat will go under in less than a minute." One of the Villains pointed out with a savage grin, "Once you're in the water, you're _chum_!"

"Damn it, I'm useless in the water!" I commented out angrily. If this was dry land, I might be able to fight them off somehow, but when I need to swim? I might as well be bait!"

"Water…! That's it!" Midoriya suddenly turns to me, "Tatsuya-san! Can you transfer the electricity elsewhere?"

"Huh? I've never tried, but in theory…" I thought back to when Tetsu is still around, during my fourth grade where he is helping me test out how much voltage I can take using a voltage measuring device that I do not know the name of. If I recall, he- wait, is he suggesting… "Yes! It can transfer out! But I don't know how much!"

"It's fine! I've got an idea!"

After a brief summary of his plan, I got into position. Thankfully, I still have the charge I've absorbed from my battery so I can move immediately. Got to give him props for coming with such a plan in a pinch.

"The moment when the enemy thinks they've won, represents your best chance." Words from the wise, Midoriya. Fits our situation perfectly.

With a deep breath to calm my nerves, I leap out of the ship towards the water. Scoffing me, the Villains just stay there unaware of our plan to fight back, which is advantageous to us. As I fall towards the water, I position myself in the diving pose with my hands out.

Hands, that I have my fingers connecting to each other.

As soon as they touch the water, I separate my fingers and let the electricity flow out. I felt the entire charge leaving me, my own energy draining with every second millisecond. The screams of the Villains echoed in my ears as well as the bright light that luminate the water surface.

"Genko-chan! Kero!" I felt Tsuyu's tongue grab me just as I heard Midoriya screams out…

"DELWARE SMASH!"

With a large splash, the force of his finger flick smashes into the water, pun intended. That created a small crater in the water that the now paralyzed villains are getting dragged towards the center and within seconds, the surface tension of the water fixes itself forcefully, sending them all heads first towards each other a glorious splash of bodies that is sent flying into the air.

"Good work, you two." Tsuyu congrats us on our way outwards, landing with a splash around the edge of the Flood Zone, "That's one challenge down."

I give her thumbs-up while Midoriya clutches his broken finger wincing from the pain. He needs to get that fixed soon. Thankfully, the water seems clean enough so we don't have to worry too much; the Villains all knocked out in one corner close to the sinking ship unconscious, hopefully not dead because I really not want THAT on my conscious.

Killing people as a student isn't something I need on my hero resume.

* * *

An anonymous mental agreement later, we all slowly make our way to the shore; I'm slightly slogging along after them, the tiredness of my previous stun gun act is really wearing on me. Never thought losing my charge would drain me this much… got to keep a mental note of this.

"Are you alright, Genko-chan?" Tsuyu asked me worriedly, "You look exhausted."

"A little." I stated, "I'll be fine. Just need to rest." Which should be the last thing we need to be doing. Villains are still out there, so our crisis isn't over yet. "So, what's the plan now, Midoriya?"

He got out of his muttering routine when I ask that question and replied, "Ah! R-Right…" He felt his bandaged finger (Thankfully, my first aid supplies aren't soaked… Mental Note: Remember to ask the Support Course to help waterproof my belt pouches.), "For now… calling for help is our top priority. If possible, we should follow the shoreline and make for the exit, avoiding the plaza altogether…"

As we made to the shore, we hugged by the side and lay low into the water to hide ourselves from the Villains. In the distance, Aizawa can be seen is fighting against a huge crowd of Villains of all forms. Got to admit, it is cool to see him in action, throwing them left and right, taking down guys larger than he is. If this is what a Pro Hero is, I'm not sure if I can reach that level by graduation.

"Looks like Aizawa-sensei is drawing a large number of them to the plaza." Tsuyu noted.

"There's too many of them…" Midoriya pointed out, "Of course, he's more than holding his own out there, but it's too much for him. He knew that, but he jumped in to protect us."

"You're not planning on…!"

"I'm not saying we should dive into the fight." He assures my question, "Just that we watch for an opening and do what we can to lighten sensei's load."

I looked at him worriedly, not sure about even going into a fight against so many Villains. Our fight in the Flood Zone is merely dumb luck that they all are at the water surface and they not knowing of our quirks. And Aizawa's group is way more equipped for a fight.

We scurried along the shoreline, taking care to not get seen by the Villains. By the time we reach close to the stairs, I decided to peek back at the fight.

Aizawa is now rushing towards what I presume is the head honcho of this band of thugs, the guy with hands all over his body who has grabbed onto his capture scarf. With that, he pulls him closer and elbows him in the gut. But then, he staggers back a bit, his elbow in the grasp of the leader's hand.

Which begins to disintegrate.

This causes our teacher to leap back, dodging a pair of Villains that has snuck up on him and taking them both down effectively.

But when he is doing that, something else appears behind him.

A large black muscular mass of a man with his brain out in the open grabs our teacher's injured arm and _twist_ it like a pretzel, effectively breaking it in one smooth motion. And with his spare hand, smashes him into the concrete floor so hard that it _cracked_ , crushing his skull in the process.

I don't have to turn to know that both Midoriya and Tsuyu are watching this with me, and with the same blank stare of horror. What… is that thing?

"Meet the Anti-Symbol of Peace." The leader stated out, "The Bio-engineered…"

The thing let out a deafening roar.

" _ **Nomu**_."

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Omake**

"For today, we're going to be sparring against your fellow classmates!" All Might declares as all of Class 1-A has gathered into one of the buildings of Training Ground Beta in their gym uniforms, where there are several practice mattresses scattered about in an organised manner.

"How are we going to be paired this time?!" Iida raising his hand and asking.

"As we did for our Battle Training!" He explains as he takes out a ballot box, "Drawing lots!"

After some time drawing lots, everyone is paired up with their sparring partner.

Genko got paired with Bakugou, the lighter blonde of the two grinning with some sort of glee.

"Now!" The No.1 Hero loudly proclaims, "You are to spar without using your quirks! There will come times where you are unable to use them, so you will learn how to deal with Villains without them. Those who have some fighting experience, please help out those without the best you can. We will rotate every few minutes. Do everyone understand?"

"Yes!"

"Good! You may proceed."

With that last declaration, Bakugou rushes towards his opponent with a wide right hook. Genko simply got close and lands a solid jab into his face, knocking him off-balance and sending him tumbling on the practice mattress. "Too wide of a strike." She tells him, "You want concise and fast motion. Otherwise, you'll get countered very easily."

He got back up, scowling at the fact that the blonde girl got him.

He charges back in, throwing punches left and right. These were either blocked or completely dodged by Genko who at the same time is trying to tell him all his mistakes, which causes him to rush her even more.

"Too wide! You should keep your shoulders in-"

"Shut up!"

"Listen to me-"

"I said shut up!"

She has had it with his attitude and grabs him by his shirt's collar, and with a grace of a judo master tosses him onto the ground. "Listen to me, you egotistic fuckface! I'm trying to help you; so, for the love all things All Might, listen to what I am trying to say, damn it!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Everyone else all look on in complete surprise at the amount of swearing Genko just did.

"Um… Well then! Why don't we switch opponents now?"

* * *

 **Yes! Done so quickly! So, this is a two-part arc, something I didn't think was going to be, but I don't want this chapter to be too long.**

 **So yes, Genko's stun-gun ability. It's something that has been part of this character's ability since the start, it's just not shown until this chapter.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Nomu**

* * *

I have to cover my mouth to prevent myself from making any sound, in fear of them even noticing us.

It was all well at the beginning, Aizawa seems to have a fighting chance. But then… That THING… he just came out of nowhere and completely destroyed him.

What is even is that monster?! Is it even a person?! I doubt the term 'beast' is even enough to describe what that is. That bulging mass of muscles… that dead fish eyes… the exposed brain… its entire body just screams not natural. Come to think of it, didn't he said that it is bio-engineered? What kind of person is able to create THAT?!

And its name… Nomu. Something about that name just screams warning bells in my head; it's like I'm SUPPOSED to fear it. Why, I can only chalk it up as a gut-feeling…

"Cancelling out quirks… Pretty cool, but it's nothing special." The hands Villain points out, "Up against impossible strength, you might as well be quirkless."

And to demonstrate that, the Nomu grabs his other arm and with one solid size crushes his elbows with a loud snap. It then grabs our teacher's head and slams it down against the ground, _cracking_ the concrete floor.

That thing… he's as strong as All Might…! This is bad! Really, really bad! Even if All Might make it here, can he even take that monster down?

Before my train of thought can go anywhere else, a vortex of black smog spun to existence next to the Villain leader, "Shigaraki Tomura."

Shigaraki Tomura… Is that his name?

"Kurogiri. Is Thirteen dead?"

"He's incapacitated. But… There were some students I couldn't warp away and one of them escaped."

"…Huh… is that right…?" The leader raises his hands up to his neck and starts scratching. He just keeps scratching viciously till he actually draws blood as he rants out, "Kurogiri. You… I'd turn you into dust if you weren't our ticket out of here…!" He then stops scratching, slumping down with his hands laying limp on his sides, "We won't stand a chance against a group of Pros… It's game over. Game over, for now…"

"We're leaving."

I nearly choked on my own spit when I heard what he just said. Leaving? Just like that?! All this trouble, and they are just going to leave without even waiting for All Might?!

"I'm not the only one that heard him, right…?" I whispered, "That he said they're leaving…?"

"I heard it too." Tsuyu noted, "But I got a bad feeling about this, Midoriya-chan."

"Yeah. To do all this… and then just leave on a whim…" He pointed out.

This isn't right… what kind of Villains just come to wreck something before leaving without even accomplishing their actual objective? I mean, that has that Nomu thing. I wouldn't be surprised if they let it loose on this place just to show it off, but to just leave without doing much with it?

"Ah. But before that…" His gaze turned till his eyes nearly meet mine, a shiver went down my spine when his hollow eyes stared at me, "Let's leave a few dead kids-"

And I blinked, he is before us with his hand reaching out for Tsuyu, "-to wound the _pride_ of the Symbol of Peace!"

I didn't know why I reacted the way I did, but the moment he appeared in front of us with his hand reaching out for Tsuyu, I lean out and pushes her out of the way into Midoriya; which left me in her place when the Villain's hand landed on my head as I brace myself for the cracking disintegration.

But… nothing happened.

"You're really cool, Eraserhead."

I glanced passed him, our teacher has his eyes glaring right at Shigaraki with the glimmer of red of his quirk's activation in his pupils. But then the Nomu grabs his skull and slams it back into the ground with a sickening crack.

The moment the sound is heard, I felt my body being pulled over as Tsuyu's tongue wrapped around my torso and pulls me towards him. At the same time, Midoriya got out of the water and cocks his uninjured arm back, aiming right at him.

"GET OFF HER!"

His attack struck, a loud wham and the aftershock that blew up so much dust obstructed our view. A few moments later as the dust settles, the very emotion of fear and despair filled my heart as I saw the result of his attack.

We didn't even hear him call out to the Nomu…

"Quite some moves you two just pulled." Shigaraki pointed out, Midoriya's fist is pushed against the black monster's muscular gut unharmed from that attack, "And with a 'smash', too… are you a fan of All Might?"

"Well, whatever."

The monster reaches out to grab Midoriya as Tsuyu extending her tongue towards him, I saw the Villain reaching his hands out towards us, I cock back my own fist in ready to retaliate as his palm creeps ever closer to us. Even if hope is lost, I can't afford to not fight back!

But…

 _*SMASH*_

The doors to the dome are blasted out of its hinges inwards. It wasn't a bomb; no heat or shockwave is present. That very act stopped everything as we all, even the Villains, turn to see the source of the commotion.

And when his figure stomps in, I felt my heart soar.

"Have no fear…"

For from the broken entryway, HE came in. His heavy footsteps echoing with each step, possibly cracking the tiles. And with a solid motion, All Might tears off his tie.

"… **for I AM HERE!** "

My vision is blurring from the buildup of tears at the corner of my eyes, but I can see something that I would never think was possible. All Might, the No.1 Hero that saves people with an unwavering _smile_ , is _not_ smiling.

"Ah… we got a 'continue'." Shigaraki laughed in what I can only comprehend as joy, "Kurogiri… our chance is here."

All Might tosses his jacket and shredded tie aside and steps forward, and then he blurs out of existence for a fraction of a second before reappearing right next to Aizawa, the Villains in the plaza all knocked down or away at the exact same time. He is FAST! And I thought dad was quick!

Hanging the beaten and injured Aizawa over his shoulder, he turns to face us. Blue pupils' glow under his shadowed eyes for a single moment and then the world _blurs_ ; one moment I was in the water with Tsuyu, the next we are back on dry land next to Midoriya with a bloody Aizawa laying in front of us as the Symbol of Peace kneeled in front of us with one arm back.

"Everyone, to the entrance, NOW!" He tells us, "Take Aizawa, he's unconscious."

"R-Right!" I immediately place our homeroom teacher's arm over my shoulder, "Midoriya-san, help me with his legs." He did not move, so I call out again, "Midoriya-san-"

"Wait, All Might!" He suddenly calls out, "It's no use! That brain Villain! One-For-… I-I mean, my attack wasn't strong enough to break my own arm, but… He didn't even FLINCH! Up against that you-"

"Midoriya-shounen." All Might turns around, gives us his famous smile and said, "It's fine now." And he turns around and took a stance, "Now, go!"

"Midoriya-san!" I call out again, "We got to go!"

"R-Right…!" He follows our lead, just as All Might's feet pushes off the ground as he charges into the fray.

"CAROLINA… SMASH!"

Impact upon impact can be heard in the distance, as the fight between the Symbol of Peace and the Anti-Symbol of Peace commences in full; the monster's toneless roar echoing behind us as I hear All Might's punches hitting blow after blow. I took a good look around the plaza, the Villains taken out by his advance is either completely out-cold or is left on the floor convulsing in pain. All the major pressure points, such precision with such speed…

All Might is the No.1 Hero for a reason, I guess… Talk about the power gap. Wonder if I could even come anywhere close to his level of speed…?

Then, just as we reach the foot of the stairs, an explosion is heard in the background with the aftershock of wind pressure nearly causes me to fall over; I stepping out a foot to stop myself from toppling over, before looking back at the fight to see a column of dust around it. What the heck was THAT?!

"All Might is unreal!" Tsuyu noted, "He may be a rookie teacher that still needs cheat sheets, but he's really in a whole different league. Maybe we're worried over nothing?"

Midoriya is looking back at the fight, his expression completely unreadable. Worry? Fear? Whatever it is, it's not a positive one.

The dust began to dissipate and I couldn't stop myself from gasping in shock at what I just saw.

"K-Kero…"

All Might, _bleeding_.

His entire body is arced from what I can guess is him trying to suplex the monster into the ground. But instead of being buried in the concrete like he has hoped, the same black smog Villain has his smog-portals suck in the its top half which pops up from another portal right under him and the Nomu took this chance to clench its hands right around the Symbol of Peace's ribcage, drawing blood.

"So, you hoped to drive him into the concrete to seal his movements?" Shigaraki commented, "Clever, but it wouldn't have worked. Nomu is created to be as powerful as you. Well done, Kurogiri. Perfect timing."

"Impressive for first-time offenders…" All Might grunted out, blood dripping from the corner of his lips as he struggles to get himself out of the death grip, "But…! you best prepare yourselves!"

"…" The leader raises his hand up to his neck to start scratching. "…Kurogiri."

"I can't say I like having blood and guts inside me, but if they're yours, I'm happy to oblige." The smog Villain stated as All Might starts sinking into the black portal, "You see, it's the Nomu's job to get around that annoying speed of yours and hold you down. And it is _my_ job to close the warp gate on you while you're halfway through."

"Tearing you apart."

This… All of this is part of their plan, a trap to get to All Might to where they wanted to him to be. For all his herculean strength, there is no way he is able to make use of it in that posture! He is helpless like that! Even with all that power, All Might wouldn't stand a chance getting ripped apart like that!

"Asui-san."

"Kero? What is it, Midoriya-chan?"

"Trade places with me."

Without a word, he let go and Midoriya rushes back towards the fight. "M-Midoriya-san, wait!" I screamed out for him, he just rushing in without stopping. This isn't good! I know that Midoriya has the same power as All Might, but unlike the Symbol of Peace who can use it freely, just using it once is catastrophic for his body! He would be a sitting duck out there!

"Tsuyu-chan! Take Aizawa-sensei!" I reluctantly hand our teacher over to the frog girl's shoulders, before turning around and rushing after our fast-paced friend.

Reaching into my utility belt, I search around and took out the last remaining batteries into my hand and clenches tightly around them. If I'm going to do this, I need to be at FULL charge! Hopefully, the past week of training has built up my body enough…

Feeling the charge flowing in and as the tingling feeling starts to overwhelm my senses, I rocket forward, charging towards Midoriya to get him back.

And then, just a few paces before I reach Midoriya, "MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, DEKU!" Bakugou somehow flew into the picture and slams his palm into smog Villain, detonating a large explosion right at his face. The black smog dissipates slightly, a metal collar-thing can be seen from within. The explosive teen then grabs onto it and slams the Villain into the ground.

Where did he come from? And did he just…

No time for that! If that's the case, we have a chance! The Nomu doesn't seems to be acting on its own accord, so it must be controlled by Shigaraki! If I can disorientate him and stop him from issuing command…

I change my trajectory and speeds towards the hand-filled Villain, leaping over the creeping ice that is heading towards the monster in the process. At around the same time, Kirishima also leaped out from somewhere behind him, slashing down his harden arm right at the Villain's leader.

Shigaraki easily dodges out of the way of his attack, but unluckily into mine as I charge forward at my top speed and slams my fist into his gut. In retaliation, his hands move to grab me, but I twist out of the way and lands a rising uppercut right at his face; I misses and hit the hand that is acting as his mask instead, knocking it off him.

Getting back my bearings, I spread my legs out in a wide stance to launch another blow, but then I saw his face. Wrinkled face, dry lips, blood-shot eyes with eyebags, he doesn't look like a sane person at all. But what gave me pause is his expression when he looked-no, _glare_ at me.

It screams of promised death and anguish. I flinched for a moment as my mind and body screams to run, to keep my distance with him. That became my downfall as his hand reaches out grasp around my wrist before I can react. I can feel my braces crumbling under his touch and his hand bypassed it and grasps on my wrist.

"Tatsuya!" "Tatsuya-shoujo!"

The pain was immeasurable as I let out a scream in response, pulling my hand to try and get free of his iron-tight grip.

Sounds of cracking and freezing can be heard as a sheet of ice races towards Shigaraki who let me go and jump out of the way of Todoroki's attack, which I am forever grateful as I speeds back to my classmates' side.

"Are you alright, Tatsuya?!" Kirishima asked worriedly.

"Y-Yeah… somewhat…" I grunted out as I felt my wrist. The skin has broken away, revealing my muscles underneath as blood is flowing out continuously, "Thanks for the save, Todoroki-san."

"Save it for after we survive this." He tells me.

I nodded as I reach into my first aid pouch to pull out a roll of bandages and cotton wool. Kirishima noted this and move over to help me bandage up my wounded wrist. That is careless of me, standing frozen like that…

Looking around, I realized about the entire turnover of advantage. Todoroki have frozen that monster's arm and leg in place while it is still in the smog portal, its user currently on the floor grunting with our explosive classmate lording over him with his hand at its metal collar.

"You slipped up, you bastard!" Bakugou gloated over the smog Villain, "It's just as I thought, you are not completely made of that foggy stuff! You're just using it to cover up the part of you that aren't. If you were, you wouldn't have said 'That was close'!" The Villain struggles to get out of his hold, but then our violent blonde hero-to-be let loose a few sparks of explosion around the collar, "Whoa now! Don't you dare think about doing anything funny, or I'll blow your head off!"

"That's… not really hero-like, dude." Kirishima pointed out.

"You…! You…!" The Villain leader grumbles as he picks up his face hand-mask thing, putting it back on. Despite it somewhat covering his eyes, I can still feel his hostile glare towards me. He then breathes deeply, before turning to us with now a somewhat calm farce as he stated, "Not only have you beaten our level, but you'll all in full health. Well, mostly full health." I flinched at his comment, Kirishima just finishing bandaging up my wrist. "Today kids really are something else… Our League of Villains should be ashamed…"

What is this guy spouting about? Health? Level? Is this all some kind of game to him?

"Nomu. Take out the explosion brat. We need to get out escape route back."

At that command, the Nomu, despite its frozen limps, lift itself out of the portal and breaking its frostbitten limps in the process. "His body's falling apart… but he's still moving?!" Midoriya remarks in shock.

"Get back, everyone!" All Might calls to us, "What in the…?! I thought his quirk was Shock Absorption."

"I don't remember saying that's all he can do." Shigaraki stated, "This is Hyper-Regeneration." True to his words, the monster's fallen limps start growing back, muscles, bones, skin and all. "Nomu is a super-powered living sandbag designed to withstand everything you've got."

Once all its limps are all grown back, he lunges forward in a blur. The next thing we know, he punches right at where Bakugou is, sending a shockwave of air hurling past where it hit and the aftershock is blasted right through us. So fast! That's almost as fast as All Might!

"Kacchan!" Midoriya screams out, only to cry out a little softer when we all notices Bakugou right next to him, "Kacchan?! You dodged that?!"

"I didn't." He stated. We all then turn to where he is looking at, to see the real reason he is still okay.

All Might has taken the hit for him, his arms now heavily bruised and bloody. "This guy… he doesn't seem to know the meaning of holding back…"

"Anything to save a comrade, right?" Shiragaki starts talking, "Just like earlier when, uh… oh, those two. The plain one and the blonde chick. They came at me with everything they have. But _violence_ in the name of saving others is admirable, isn't it, _Hero_? And you know what, All Might?"

"That PISSES ME OFF!"

He then continues to rant out, "Heroes and Villains both _thrive_ on violence, but we're still categorized! You're [Good]. You're [Evil]. That's how it is! Symbol of Peace? HAH! In the end, you're just a tool for violence, made to keep us down! And violence only breeds more violence. I'll show the world that by killing you!"

"Ha. What a load of crap." All Might stated, "Idealistic criminals have a different sort of fire in their eyes. But you? You're just enjoying yourself, you big liar."

"Haha, oh you got me. Saw right through it…"

"It's a three on five situation." Todoroki pointed out, "We still outnumber them, so let's use that to our advantage."

"Yeah. And Kacchan has shown us that mist guy's weak point…!" Midoriya added on.

"These are some brutal dudes, but with us supporting All Might, we can beat them back!" Kirishima noted. I nodded in agreement as I stood ready. My right hand is in no shape to use, but I still have my left!

"No!" All Might tells us, "Get out of here, all of you!"

"All Might, you're bleeding…!" Midoriya tells him, "And I think your time is u- A-Ah! I-I mean…"

Time is up? Why does that seem really important somehow? All Might time being up…? I feel like I should know something about this…

"Things wouldn't have gone so well if I hadn't just stepped in…" Todoroki commented.

"Right you are, Todoroki-shounen! Thanks for that!" The Symbol of Peace tells him with a thumbs-up, "But fear not! Sit back, and watch a Pro get _serious_!"

"Nomu, Kurogiri, take him." Shigaraki commanded, "I'll handle the kids. Starting with that blonde bitch."

I flinched at what he said as we all took stances ready to fight. Kirishima harden his fists and took a low stance. Ice starts to crack around Todoroki. Midoriya raises his hands up in a somewhat ready stance. Bakugou brace himself raising his palm facing the Villain. I raise my left arm in a somewhat loose stance with feet slightly off the ground as I feel the charge still circulating around me.

"I have to do this…"

"Let's clear this game and go home." Shigaraki sprints towards us with arms wide open and hands ready to strike.

"Why…?"

And then, the ground shook violently as a large burst of wind blasted right towards us, sending us flying back a few meters. A storm has emerged in the plaza's center. And at its core…

"Because I am the Symbol of PEACE, and JUSTICE!"

All Might clashes once more against the monstrous Nomu, his fist slamming into its own releasing a pressure of air that starts to blow us away from the plaza all together. I nearly flew away if weren't for Todoroki who has made a large wall of ice behind us that caught us.

"Hey, hey." Shigaraki stated as he cartwheels back to a safe distance, "Did you just witness its Shock Absorption yourself?"

"Yeah, I did!" All Might then starts launching blow after blow, each punch being counter by the monster's own again and again. Soon enough, the strikes just blur into blobs of flesh that keep slamming into each other, each attack sending shockwave after shockwave spilling out of the core, "If you said it is Shock _Absorption_ and not _Nullification_ , then there's has to be a limit to it, does it not?!"

In the entire fight, even though I can't see the punches actually hitting, it is clear what All Might is doing.

With one punch that hits its flesh, the impact has travelled back through its muscles and bulged up its body like some sort of human sponge. And with each additional attack, the bulging muscles expand out more and more, till its skin is starting to strain under all of the ballooned muscles that it starts to tear and _stayed_ tear. It is clear that even with its regeneration, its body is unable to keep up with its own absorption and starts to destroy itself like an overly inflated balloon.

"Made to fight me, you say?" The No.1 Hero noted as he starts to _advance_ , "If it's made to handle my best, then I just have to go _beyond_ my best!"

Soon enough, the onslaught is starting to overwhelm it as All Might's punches starts breaking through its guard, a few punches hitting it forcing it back an inch at a time. With one mighty roar, he lands one solid punch that sends the monster flying into the trees.

"A Hero…" Leaping forward, he made pursuit as the Nomu rebalance itself before running back towards the fight on fours, using its arms to push itself up into the air to meet him in mid-flight. Using the momentum, it strikes right at the Symbol of Peace, slamming him into the ground before following with a hammer blow that he manages to block, "…always finds a way out a pinch!" Kneeing it in the gut, he sends the monster flying; he then leaps over it and landing at where he has tossed it and punches it into the air. And then, with a great leap, he rises up to meet it in the air. Using his momentum, he grabs its arm before spinning it around and slams it into the ground, cracking the ground in the process.

"Holy shit…!"

No idea who said that, but it could be any of us as we witness the proof of why All Might is the top hero in the world, of why he _is_ the Symbol of Peace.

"Tell me, Villain." All Might says as he lands in front of the Nomu that has bounced up due to its own Shock Absorption quirk, "Do you ever hear these words?" He took a stance, clench his fist and cock back.

"Go Beyond…"

And then, he strikes forward, his entire body twisting with his fist-

"PLUS ULTRA!"

The resulting punch sank into the monster's gut, before, like a rubber ball being hit back a baseball bat, it recoils on itself and send itself flying into the air. And it keeps going up, and up, and up till it smashes right through the dome's roof and out of the USJ. Lights shatters, the entire training site shudder from the aftershock of that single PUNCH.

"Like straight out of the comics…" Kirishima noted in shock, "He just smashes right through the absorption like it was nothing!"

"Against all that power, its regeneration can't keep up with the rush of attacks…" Bakugou noted.

It is obvious what everyone is thinking at the time. We just have a glimpse into the world of Pro Heroes, at the slight glimmer of its summit AND its current ruler.

"Yep, I'm getting rusty… In my heyday, just five punches would do." All Might, even heavily bruised and bloodied, still keeps his unwavering smile of hope as he jokes about, "But that was over 300 hits just now." He then turns to Shigaraki, his stance ready for a second round, "Well then, Villain. How about we hurry and finish this up?"

"…You cheated…" The Villain leader grunted scratching his neck furiously, blood starts to flow from his scratches, "You've weakened? What part of that is weakened?! They… They lied to me?!"

"Well? What's wrong? Come and get me!" All Might calls out, "What happened to clearing the game? If you can take me…" He stiffens his stance, "Then bring it on!"

"If only… If only we still had Nomu!"

"Calm yourself, Shigaraki Tomura." The smog Villain assures him, "It's apparent that Nomu manages to deal some real damage to him." He glances towards us for a moment, "The kids are holding back for some reason. Reinforcements from the school are bound to arrive in a few minutes, but if the two of us double-team him, we might still have a chance."

"Yes, yes…" He starts muttering out something inaudible, I couldn't catch of his words at all.

"Looks like All Might got it under control." Kirishima noted as he along with Todoroki and Bakugou turns back to group up with the rest of our classmates, "Let's go see if we can help the others. You coming, Tatsuya?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." I nodded numbly as I follow them back. All Might seems to have it covered. Even their greatest weapon against him is taken down. So, it should be an easy win from here on out.

And yet… why do I still have a bad feeling about all of this…?

A sudden gust of wind from behind me answers that question for me, I turning back to see that Midoriya has somehow leap right towards the two Villains. From his wiggling legs, it seems he used that same move he did back in the entrance exam to take down that Zero-Pointer. This is bad! Even if he lands a hit, that guy's quirk will…

The image of his body crumbling away projects itself in my mind. No, that will not be happening today!

Without a second thought, I sprint forward right after him. "Oi! Tatsuya!" Ignoring the cries from Kirishima, I let myself rocket towards Midoriya who is aiming for the smog Villain with his unharmed arm. When Shigaraki's arm reaches out of the smog portal, I force myself to go faster. I have to make it! If I don't… He'll…!

And… with every strength in my body, I force my quirk to accelerate my legs far beyond what my max speed originally is. The surroundings blur as I focus my eyes on my target; and with a final lunge on my part, I tackle our green-haired fanboy down onto the ground, avoiding the Villain's hand.

At the exact same time, I hear a gun goes off as Shigaraki's hand is snapped to the side with a small hole bleeding from his wrist followed by two more shots.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, everyone." A familiar voice calls out from the entrance, "We've round up as many as we could."

"Class 1-A Class President: Iida Tenya!" The all too familiar voice of our glasses-wearing model student echoes out, "Have returned with help!"

At the entrance way, there stood our reinforcements, the entire faculty staff of Yuuei High. Midnight, Present Mic, Snipe, Power Loader, Hound Dog, Ectoplasm, Cementoss, Vlad King, along with a few others that I do not recognize, all of them has arrived in full hero costume and ready to fight. Even Principal Nezu is there with them, sitting on Vlad King's shoulder.

"Game over." I heard Shigaraki stated as he took a few steps back, "Got to retreat-" Before he could finish, he is pounded with bullets to his limps that causes him to fall limp on the ground; his partner surrounding him in a black smog barrier that absorbs the following rounds.

A small fraction of a second later, the smog Villain starts to get suck up somewhere, forcing it to focus only around the leader to try and teleport themselves away.

"I may have lost this round, Symbol of Peace…!" The leader calls out with an angry glare in his eyes, "But the next time we met, you're DEAD, All Might."

With those last words, he disappears into a swirling vortex of smog that soon swallow itself up into nothing.

I let out a sigh of relief as I rolled off of Midoriya and laid on the ground on my back. It's over, it's finally over… "We're saved…"

"I… couldn't do anything… at all…" I heard him muttered out in agony.

This guy… he really lacks some self-confidence in himself… I wonder if Recovery Girl has a license for psychotherapy?

"That's… not true. If you hadn't given me those few seconds, I'd be dead."

I heard All Might spoke as I turn to face him, Midoriya suddenly panicked and tries to block my view with his waving hand.

But despite all that, his effort is of naught when I saw something I know I shouldn't see at all. A secret that can, and would be, so devastating that if word gets out the entire nation, nay, the WORLD will be plunged into chaos.

"Eh? A-All Might…?"

"Sorry that you have to see this… Tatsuya-shoujo…" 'All Might' coughed out.

All Might, for all of his heroic stature and prowess equivalent to the tales of the Greek powerhouse of legend Hercules himself, is literally a standing and talking skeleton of a man.

His muscles are all shriveled up, his bones outlined his skin, even his face resembles that of a skull with how sink-in his eyes and cheeks are. Whatever heroic presence he has before is completely absent in him.

What is this?! Why is All Might a skeleton?! How long has this been going on?! Months?! Years?! How did people _not_ know?! Like seriously! HOW?! Despite all that, that image of a deflated All Might seems to unlock something in my head, that very something seems to start to leak from the depths of my mind. Information starts flowing in my mind as something seems to start to click and make sense.

The familiarity of Midoriya and Bakugou, Nomu, even when I think about, I thought I've seen my classmates once before besides during the entrance exam.

Then… two phrases came to mind.

"One For All… All For One…"

I unknowingly spat out these two phrases, both Midoriya's and All Might's eyes all widen at the same time.

I can't believe I'm so stupid! So goddamn stupid! All of it, the Quirk Assessment, the Battle Trial, even this mishap of a class, it follows almost exactly like how in the My Hero Academia! I was involved with the story's plot the entire time, and I was none the wiser!

"Hey! Midoriya! Tatsuya!" Kirishima calls out as he runs towards us, "You guys okay?!"

Now I understand why Midoriya panics. This is bad! Really, really, bad!

"W-Wait, Kirishima!"

Before he can even come close to us, a large wall of concrete surfaces up from the ground, separating us from his view.

"We need to make sure all you students are safe," Our savior, Cementoss tells our redheaded friend from behind the wall, "so please head over to the gate. I'll deal with the wounded."

"Ah! Right! Of course! Understood, Cementoss-sensei!"

With that, I hear his footsteps disappearing, letting me to let go of the breath that I wasn't even sure I was holding. That was WAY too close…

"That was a close one…" All Might sighs as he sat down, "Thanks for that, Cementoss."

"It's no problem." He stated with a smile, "I'm a big fan of yours after all. Now, let's get you to the nurse's office without revealing this side of you. But on all honesty, you got to stop overdoing it…"

"I'd be dead if I didn't…"

"And Tatsuya-kun." I flinched at the mention of my name as the literature teacher stares at me, "I know you have many questions, but please leave it till after you got that hand of yours looked, okay?"

"Y-Yes, Cementoss-sensei…"

Looks like I'll be expecting a meeting with Nezu soon…

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Omake**

Taikou stared at the clock, its second hand slowly ticking down with a tick every… second. His mind just keeps going back to what happened a few minutes ago.

Almost a half-hour into their Heroics Law class, Maki got a call and a few seconds later, they are dismissed for self-study as he ran out of the class in a hurry. And he saw those eyes before, when his uncle was told that one of the tenants has started a fire in their flat. Thankfully, the flat wasn't burn down, just that one unit's kitchen.

And Maki has the exact same expression, along with a few of the teachers who has passed by, all of them having the same panicked expression.

Whatever happened mustn't be good, like that time with the journalist from last week.

"Hey, Taikou!" Tetsutetsu suddenly calls out as he nearly ran into his friend's desk, "Did you hear?! One of Class 1-A came running back a few moments ago!"

"Really?! Who?!" One of his classmates, Setsuna Tokage asked.

"Iida Tenya. You know, the exit sign guy?"

"Oh, him."

"Why did he came running back? Did something happen?"

"Hey, didn't the teachers just run off somewhere a few minutes ago as well?"

"Wasn't Class 1-A doing the Practical Class today? I've saw them leave in their hero costume."

Taikou starts to panic. Genko is in Class 1-A. And if something happened to them…

"Whatever you are planning on doing, don't." Their class president, Kendo Itsuka calls out to him, walking up to him with her hands on her hips. "Hermes-sensei has told us to stay put for self-study."

"But…"

"Naru."

"…Fine." He lets out a sigh as he clenches his fists tightly. 'Genko… you better be okay…'

* * *

 **Remember that this is a reincarnation fic? That this is a Self-Insert?**

 **Well, Genko seems to have forgotten, so now she has been reminded of that fact!**

 **So, yeah. Genko is now aware of her own stupidity and lack of memory retention.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Aftermath**

* * *

After the whole debacle and the villains are all arrested, both me and Midoriya along with All Might are taken to the nurse's office for treatment by Recovery Girl. Both Aizawa and Thirteen have grave wounds that need surgery so they are sent to the hospital immediately.

The trip back to school is… really tense.

I still can't believe how dumb I was to not figure out that I got involved in the plot since the start of the semester. I mean, the two protagonists of the series are my classmates for god's sake! How did I even miss that!

Other than that, I have noticed both All Might and Midoriya's stares towards me. I shouldn't have said the quirk's name out loud. They are this world's greatest secret, after all. Just knowing their names must have sent warnings that I know a lot more than I let on, which to be fair, I didn't remember until just hours ago.

But if that's the case, then the plot has proceeded as normal.

All Might fought the Nomu and won, if just barely. Things will go back to normal with the sports festival and then the workplace training-oh god!

Workplace Training, where Iida's brother suffered an attack from Stain and is left paralyzed from the waist down. Which then leads to Iida going full-sasuke and seek vengeance against him.

All of that would happen a few weeks down the line.

What I do?! I want to help, but what if doing that changes the plot to a point that it made things worse? What if just by doing such a thing, Iida didn't learn from his mistake and choose not to help in the whole rescue Bakugo thing? Without his help, they would have an even smaller chance of even rescuing him or even surviving, considering that it was Iida that has stopped Midoriya from rushing to his death! But should I just leave a potential victim for the sake of a future good that will end up doing? Is that what a hero should do…?

God, I wish I have remained ignorant about the whole thing. At least I've no need to fuss over this dilemma…

* * *

Once we reach the nurse's office, Recovery Girl went to work healing and bandaging up the injured parties. I was the last one to get patch up considering the severity of my wound is mostly due to bleeding and infection, something that take a less priority than broken limps and cracked ribs.

"Your wrist should be fine. You managed to apply first aid in time." She tells me as she handed me a few wrapped candies after bandaging up my wrist properly, "Luckily, it only affected the skin, so your nerves are unharmed for the most part. But if you feel any numbness, please come to me immediately."

"Yes, ma am." I muttered as I unwrapped one of them and pop it into my mouth. Huh, cherry. Was expecting a different flavor…

"…Now about you two." She turns to face All Might and Midoriya, both of them laying on the beds with bandages wrapped around their respective wounds, "Due to the situation, I can't exactly scold you guys this time. But you still shouldn't have overdone it, All Might."

"I know." He stated with a morbid look on his skeleton-looking face. Still can't believe that this is All Might, the same Hero with that enormous frame and hopeful smile. "I think I may have shortened my time limit gain… I'll be lucky if I can get even an hour per day now."

"A-All Might…!" His fan/successor muttered in anguish.

"What are you going to do?" All Might states as he gets up from the bed, "Bad things happen. And speaking of bad things." He turns to me and I flinched on the stool I am sitting on. "Tatsuya-shoujo. I take it that you have a lot of questions."

"…a lot is a bit of an understatement…" I muttered out.

"But before I can answer that, please answer me this." He stares at me as he asked, "Why do you know about One-For-All?"

I freeze on the spot, no idea on what I should say. What should I even say? That I read all your life's story in a manga in another world where I am a normal quirkless person and that I'm actually a reincarnated person from that world and I know every thing that is about to happen in the next few months and that you have only until summer before you have to retire from the no.1 spot and that your greatest enemy will no doubt cause that retirement and your ex-sidekick that you have unintentionally abandoned is going to die by fall?

…Thinking about all that, if I've said all of that out loud, they are going to think I am crazy…

I mean, I think _I_ am crazy!

Why can't I just DON'T remember any of that and just live out my life as the hero-in-training Tatsuya Genko?! Why do I have to remember all of this now?!

"Tatsuya-san…?" I can feel Midoriya's innocent-looking gaze at me as I struggle to come up with something. Come on… anything… just give him an answer!

"I…Well… I…This is…"

The door sliding open became my saving grace as everyone's attention went off me to the person entering the room. It's a tall Japanese man in a brown trench coat pardoning himself from entering while taking off his brown fedora, his features are for the most normal-looking, an average Japanese male's face with the standard black hair and dark eyes.

"Long time no see, All Might!"

"Tsukauchi?!" The blonde skeleton stated in shock, "I didn't know you were here!"

"Ah! All Might, is… uh, is this okay?!" I hear my classmate cried out in surprise, "I mean, you're…"

"Relax, it's fine! Why, you ask? Because this is my favorite detective on the force, good old Naomasa Tsukauchi!"

"Haha, thanks for that _weird_ intro." The detective laughed, "Not to rush you or anything, but I'd like to ask about these Villains that attacked you-"

"Wait, before that. Are the students all right?" The Hero asked, "And Aizawa… what of Eraserhead? And Thirteen?"

"…You never change, do you?" Tsukauchi let out a sigh, his expression never changing, "Besides your two kids over there, the students got nothing more than a few bumps and bruises. And the two teachers all got out fine. It is thanks to you three Heroes for putting your lives on the line for them that they made it out unscathed."

"I see… that's good to hear…" All Might sighed in relief, "But you got one thing wrong, Tsukauchi. In this fight, all the students have put _their_ lives on the line too! To be thrown into a real battle so young and early in their education, and survived. Now these first years know how scary the big bad world can be. Have you ever heard of such a class?!"

"These foolish Villains picked the WRONG fight! For thanks to this experience, the members of Class 1-A will grow to become some of the mightiest Heroes! I'm going to make sure of that."

I… honestly wasn't sure what to make of it. To be compliment by the No.1 Hero like this, for him to state his faith in our growth like that? It's an honor beyond believed. Almost made me forget that the world is going to be facing a large shift in the near future.

"…I see. Good to know." The detective nodded, "Great speech and all, but I would really need to be getting those statements from you, if that's not too much to ask."

"Oh! No! Of…Of course not!" Midoriya stated out nervously, "A-Ask away!"

"I think I'll start with the least injured in the room." He chuckles, "Tatsuya Genko-san? Please come with me."

"Oh…OH! Of course!" I got up from my stool before following the detective out of the room.

"Tatsuya-shoujo." I flinched at the no.1 Hero's voice, "Please keep my condition a secret from everyone. You mustn't tell anyone about this. Okay?"

"…Of course…" I nodded before continuing out of the room with Tsukauchi in the lead. Wouldn't tell anyone even if I'm paid to speak…

The world depends on it, after all…

* * *

The questioning didn't go for very long. The detective mostly asked about the sequence of events from my perspective, what happened and why did I do it, the standard witness testimony. And I answered truthfully and tries to explain everything to the best of my ability.

After answering them all, he thanked me and then gave me a small lecture on the law on the use of quirks in self-defense before letting me go.

The very moment I left the room, I was met with two very worried faces in the corridor.

"Genko! Are you okay?!" Taikou cried as he shook my shoulders violently, "When I heard what happened-!"

"T-Taikou s-stop!" I stuttered out as I manage to pull away from his grip, "I'm fine. A little injured wrist, is all." I raise my bandaged wrist for them to see.

Shinsou let out a sigh of relief, "That's good news… So, what happened?"

"Villains attacked the USJ-"

"You went to the USJ for training?!" Taikou cried out in shock, "So lucky! Damn it, I wanted to go there since we were ten…!"

"No, no! Not the theme park!" I corrected him. Thirteen really need to change that name… "It's a training facility that has the same letters! But it would be awesome to go there, though…"

"Genko."

"Oh! R-Right!" I let myself wander off tangent for a bit there… got to stop doing that… "There is this large portal guy that teleported like a hundred baddies with their leader. Aizawa-sensei went to stall them to let us escape, but then the portal guy appears in front of the door stopping us. Bakugou and Kirishima went to try and stop him, but then he teleports all of us away. I ended up in the water with Midoriya and Tsuyu, where there are Villains waiting for us. The next part is a bit long so I'll keep it short. We manage to beat the bad guys, try to get to the stairs but then stopped when this hulk-looking dude wrecks Aizawa-sensei. Then the leader attack us, All Might shows up, bam-bam-boom, Heroes win, Villain run, and then I'm here."

"…I think you missed out the best parts…" Taikou pointed out.

"Hey, when All Might arrives, the Heroes always win." I noted, before mentally dreading what I just said. Thinking back, the idea of All Might being able to save everyone is really ingrained into our society's subconscious. Once he is gone…

"And your wrist?" Shinsou asked.

"The leader has the quirk that disintegrates anything he touches. Got my wrist, but luckily the nerves seem to be intact." I demonstrate by giving him a peace sign on my injured hand.

"Ho…"

"Hey, Genko…" Taikou suddenly asked, "Are you REALLY doing fine?"

"Yeah! I'm a-okay!" I grinned for him, "It's a bit scary, but it's learning experience! Just you wait, I'll be a Hero faster than any of you!" If the plot doesn't try to kill me later down the line… Remind myself to find a hotline for the faculty office later…

"…Alright. If you say so." He nodded with a smile. Oh, Taikou. If only you knew about the amount of problems that I would be going to get myself into in the near future…

"Ah! Tatsuya-kun." A voice calls out as Cementoss walks up to us, "Glad to catch you before you left school. Principal Nezu wishes to speak with you."

"The principal?" Shinsou asked curiously, "Why? Is she in trouble?"

"I'm afraid I can't say too much."

"…I got it." I nodded as I walk towards him with the teacher leading, "You guys go back without me."

"Genko."

"It'll be fine." I told Shinsou, "Nothing to worry about."

* * *

As Genko walks away with teacher in the lead, Shinsou turns to his friend, Taikou having a worried expression on his face.

"She's doing it again." The brown-haired teen tells him.

"Again?"

"Every time she is troubled, she always just smiles and tell me it is fine." He explained, "That hasn't changed since we were in kindergarten."

"You think that something happened in the USJ troubles her?" Shinsou asked.

"Yeah." He nodded, "But I doubt she'll tell us the truth if we asked."

* * *

On our way to the principal's office, I couldn't help feeling like a culprit about to be outed for my crimes.

All Might, or at least Recovery Girl must have told him about what I muttered out back in USJ. And knowing that Nezu is quite a smart fellow… I can't help but fear my future here in this school. How am I going to explain myself? I mean, knowledge of One-For-All is strictly a secret for various reasons, and for me, an average high school girl happening to find out about it? I doubt there's little I can do to hide the truth from them.

But would they even believe the truth?

That I am a reincarnation from another world that happens to have this world's greatest story told in a manga book? How is anyone is going to think if I said that?

"We're here." Cementoss tells me as we stand in front of a door with the words [Principal Office] written clearly on the plaque over it. The concrete hero knocks on the door, pardoning himself before opening the door.

The office is a large room with a few cabinets on the side that houses several files and books with a few photo frames decorating the walls along with a large lone clock ticking in on the wall in the corner. At the end of the room lies a large wooden desk where Nezu is sitting, his eyes unchanging as usual but I get a sense that he is observing me for some reason…

"Ah, Tatsuya-kun." He greeted, "Come in, come in." I entered the room as Cementoss closes the door behind me, "Please, take a seat." I walk up to the desk and sat down on chair offered, "I believe you know why I asked of you."

"Is it about All Might?" I asked worriedly.

"Yes, yes, that one." He nodded, "But before that, would you like some tea?" He pushes a teacup towards me, the scent of freshly brew green tea teases my nostrils.

"Oh. Um… thank you." I pick up the cup and sips a little. This is definitely not the instant kind. The warm feeling of hot tea in my stomach somewhat calms down the butterflies in my guy, my nerves slowly and steadily ease off.

"Tatsuya-kun." Nezu speaks at me with a somewhat benevolent tone, "I can assure you that as a principal of Yuuei, I would do no harm to any student of our lovely campus. Whatever you may say, it will be of the privacy in this room. Nothing will leave this room unless I say so."

I place my cup back on the table as I processed what he just said. So, he's assuring me that I won't be punished too badly? That this is not an interrogation? Is that what the tea is about? But despite his kind demeanor, I can't help but remember that scene where he is playing around with Kaminari and Ashido during their end-of-term exams.

Under all that, lies a dangerously smart individual. Cute, but dangerous.

"With that being said." He crosses his hands… paws? "May I ask how do you know about One-For-All?"

There it is. The question that I am fearing.

Dozens of possible replies races through my mind as I try to come up with an excuse as to how I know such thing. But no matter what I came up with, I can't help fearing that Nezu will just see right through it regardless, that I would be cornered all the same. How can I not? Nezu is considered one of the smartest people of this world, proven fact with countless of articles about him that I found out due to curiosity.

And if all options of lying are deemed impossible… then the only option left is…

"…Are you familiar with the term… [Reincarnation]?"

"Reincarnation? You mean the cycle of rebirth that is so prevalent in Buddhism and Hinduism?" He asked, "Yes, I am quite familiar with that concept. Why?"

"Well…"

I blurted out everything. My situation as a reincarnated human that somehow reborn into this world with the memories of my past life mostly intact, to the fact that this world was nothing but fiction from my previous life's world. The entire truth is laid out in front of him, no lies and no half-truths.

After everything is said and done, I took a sip of my tea as I await the verdict nervously. What's going to happen now…?

"…Is everything you said, true?"

"Yes." I nodded, "Well, not all of it. There are things that have changed due to me being born here. Like Mineta being in Class 1-B instead of 1-A, or the fact that Taikou is even in the school to begin with."

"I… see…" He nods in response, "Then in just a few short months… The Symbol of Peace will…" He looked at me, his eyes seem to reflect some signs of understanding and a bit of pity, "You can be assured that nothing you said will leave this room."

"Will you tell All Might about this?" I asked worriedly.

"That's up to me to worry about, Tatsuya-kun." He smiled as he glanced at the clock on the wall, "I've took up too much of your time already. Why don't you head on home? Classes are cancelled for tomorrow so take the time to get some well-deserved rest."

"Thank you, sir." I bowed politely to him before I made my way to the door.

"Tatsuya-kun." His voice stopped me just as I had my hand on the handle, "I'm proud of you with what you did today. You may not be there yet, but I can see the great heroine you'll become in the future. Keep up your studies and work hard!"

I turned to him, bowed once more before leaving the room behind me.

* * *

The moment I reach my room, I didn't even bother changing out of my uniform as I tosses my bag to one side and plopped face-first right onto my bed. I am exhausted, mentally and physically. The whole debacle with the USJ has suck everything out of me, and the thing about me realizing that I unknowingly got suck into the plot despite the signs of it screaming right in my face. Again, why did I have to remember it?! I rather be ignorant of the entire thing than worry about the eventual downfall of the Era of All Might! Or even the fact the re-emergence of All-For-One!

That guy creeps me out…

…Hah… nonetheless, I know remember the whole plot now… better write things down to plan for future trouble…

With that thought in mind, I hesitantly got up and dug into my drawer for a spare sketchbook to chart out the whole plot.

Let's see… the latest chapter I've read ended with the whole Endeavor trying to make up for his past sins to his family so once that has passed, I'm running blind… Now for the next few events…

The Sports Festival will come regardless of what I do, so I'll just leave it be and have fun in it. That reminds me, I better start sparring with Taikou and Shinsou again. Need to keep in shape for the tournament if I'm going to make any impression. I need to find a substitute way to gain charge beside using a battery…

After that is… the Workplace Training with the fight against Stain…

Stain has always been a favorite Villain for the fans since his introduction, from his anti-hero work for his own idealistic version of Heroes, to his undying resolve to carry out his ideal to the end, there is a lot to like about him. Heck, if I have to do a top 10 villains in anime, Stain is probably be one of the candidates!

But now it's different… Stain isn't some fictional character anymore. He's a living person and a major threat that need to be stopped. It is thanks to him that Iida's brother got paralyzed which then lead our class rep to track him down for revenge Uchiha-style.

But even if I hate it, I can't really do anything.

I'm just some high school girl. A super-powered high school girl, but a high school girl still. There are things that I can't do. This isn't the world of Naruto, where kids can become adult far earlier than they should. So then… what SHOULD I do?

…Nothing, I suppose…

If it goes according to the plot, everything will work out eventually. Sure, there will be some bumps in the road, but no one would actually DIE, at least not during that arc…

But… Can I live with myself if I let it all happen? That with a price of a Hero's career, and proper Hero nonetheless, this great evil will be taken down? That for the events that lead up to Stain's capture to occur, the sacrifice of a lone Hero is necessary…?

"For the price of the few, the many will be saved…" I quoted one 'Hero of Justice'. Is this the cruel reality that I have to face? That I would have to make this choice?

…No.

There was never a choice to begin with.

If I can't even save one person, what kind of Hero will I be?!

I know this path is filled with hardships the moment I chose to become a Hero. Even so, I've chose to walk on it. I won't quit, not when I just left the starting line. If I can't make it pass this hurdle, then I have no right to become a Hero!

I will save him! I have to! It's my duty to do so!

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Omake**

Tetsu screwed in the last bolt in place before taking a few steps back. "There! Done! What do you think?"

"It's a bit tight around the chest…" His middle-school sister answers, she wearing a large harness that covers the entire body with two metallic bracers around her wrists that has two small gas cylinders connected to it and has wires trailing up her arm to the metallic backpack, along with a motorcycle helmet covering her entire head, "Is it supposed to be like this?"

"Must have grown…" He mutters to himself before turning back to her, "Does it hurt anywhere else?"

"…Hm, not really."

"Then it'll be fine." He turns to his 'assistants', "Camera, ready?" Taikou raises the device and gives him a thumbs-up. "Emergency call on speed-dial?" Shinsou shows his phone with the ambulance number already dialled in, "Okay. Now, Genko, if you are feeling any discomfort or pain, please let us know."

"Got it!"

"Right." He took a look around their test site. An abandoned warehouse that his technical college owned for testing purposes with several mattresses lying about. "Ready to record in…" He raises his finger up and counts down, "Three… two…" He closed his fist as Taikou presses the record button, "This is Movement-Harness Prototype: Test 15 of the pull test! I've lowered the speed of the motor for the pulley system since the previous test ended up with a little… complication."

"I was shot through the roof!" Shinsou voices out angrily.

"Regardless." He ignores him as he continues, "I believe that with this test, we may have finally fixed the problem."

"You say that the last fourteen times, too." Taikou added in.

"Hey! Who's the inventor here?" Tetsu asked rather angrily, "Now, beginning test. Gen-chan, you ready?"

"Ready!" She aimed towards one of the warehouse's pillars a good distance away, her thumb gliding over the button on the bracer closest to it, "Shooting in three… two…" She presses down, something shoots out of the top of it and latches into the concrete pillar, "Hook's set! Starting reeling sequence!"

"You know, you don't have to say it like that." Taikou commented.

"But it's more fun that way!" She noted as she lets go of the button, the line starts reeling back in and pulling her forward with it. At first, it seems okay. But then she starts to speed up and up till she overshoots the pillar, pulling out the hook in the process and she is sent flying while screaming. A second later, a loud crash can be heard as Genko lands face first into the cushioned wall in front of her.

"Gen-chan/Genko!" The three guys rush towards her as she slides off the wall and collapses on the mattress below. "You okay?!" Her brother asked worriedly.

"Guess it still needs more adjustments, huh?" Shinsou noted.

"You don't say." Tetsu commented dryly.

"Look at all the birdies~"

* * *

 **There! Done! I was having trouble with this chapter since I'm not sure how to write Nezu at all! Originally, I wanted to follow the genius route with him already figured it out, but it would feel awkward considering that he never once did anything that may suggest this so I ended up with this.**

 **So yes, Genko now knows about the plot again. This is once again a SI fic! And she is busy fussing over it! Should she save Ingenium and possibly prevent Iida from suffering a loss? Only time will answer it!**

 **Now that I'm closing in to the Sport Festival Arc, I wanted to ask you guys a favour for this.**

 **I want you guys to help me pick a Hero for Genko's Workplace Training. It can be anyone in canon, or it could be an OC of your own. Anyone is possible, just tell me in the review if it's one of the many canon characters or PM me if it's an OC. Either way works.**

 **Call me lazy for asking you guys, but I like the idea of the readers contributing to the story. Sorry if that sounds arrogant of me for this little fic of mine.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Day off**

* * *

I am awakened to the sun shining in my face, I reluctantly open my eyes as the glare of the morning sun burns into my sight.

Feeling the hard surface on my face, I concluded that I've fallen asleep on my table. And mostly likely drooled over my sketchbook too.

I quickly raise my head in response to that thought, and breathing a sigh of relief over the lack of drool on the paper before checking the time on my phone.

"10am…" That's a lot later than I normally would have liked. I've found myself a morning person over the years, never waking up so late before with exception like that time when I got sick with the flu. I must be a lot tired than I originally thought. I didn't even realize that I've fallen asleep at all, if the lack of dreams means anything. I didn't even change into my sleepwear if the familiar feeling of my school uniform on me is to be believe.

Although, I am grateful that I have no dreams last night, or nightmares about what happened back there. The last thing I need is nightmare attacks…

Looking down at the sketchbook, I took note of the timeline I have written out on one of the pages with bullet points on the events happening on the opposite page and where as well as the cause and trigger for said event. I've written down every major event that I could remember, leading all the way to the part where Endeavor tries to redeem himself.

With this, even if my memory fails me, there's still this to remind me of what is going to happen.

Of course, all of that may go to the gutter if my presence means anything. For one, there might be certain events which may happen very differently due to my presence alone. The countless possibilities and routes are endless and I could only fear what that may entrails…

"Okay, stop, stop! Stop thinking such negative thoughts!" I mutter to myself as I slaps my cheeks a few times. If what happen isn't going in accordance to what I remember, then I just have to improvise. Even the most prepared plans have loopholes, and to come up with a counter action on the fly is the mark of a Pro Hero, after all.

Putting the sketchbook aside, I notice a pair of sticky notes on the corner of the table. On one of them reads: [Breakfast on the table. Will be home by 9. Love, Mom.], while the other reads: [At school for investigation. Classes are cancelled. With love, Dad.]. They must have left when I was asleep. Kind of them to leave a note for me.

But investigation… guess they still have some things left to inspect about the whole trespassing…

Then, it hits me.

Dad… he is part of the faculty, which means he knows about All Might's time limit and true state of being. And some of the teachers might tell him about me finding out, which would be the most logical choice to make. I mean, I know one of the largest secrets in the entire nation! And that's not mentioning the truth of One-For-All and All-For-One!

And when he finds out… a shiver runs down my spine at the thought of facing him. Not my father Tatsuya Maki, but the _Pro Hero_ Hermes.

My situation just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

* * *

Leaving my room, I'm greeted with a plate of fluffy pancakes on the dining table with a bottle of syrup and butter next to it. Happy though I may be for the best breakfast I could have gotten, the fact that mom even cooked it also means that she knows about the incident and is probably worried about me.

I have some of the best parents out there, don't I? I don't want to worry them too much but with the major plot points coming after the sports festival…

Shaking my head to clear those depressing thoughts, I gladly take my plate of breakfast goodies and move over to the coffee table to enjoy it with the TV.

Turning it on, the first thing that shows up is the news, reporting on about the recent break-in yesterday.

" _It has been a day since the prestigious Hero School Yuuei High was infiltrated by a group of Villains who call themselves the League of Villains."_ The newscaster drones on, _"No one knows why this criminal group would even infiltrate Yuuei and how they got past the defenses they have put up, but what we do know is the effect it has on the credibility of the nation's no.1 Hero School. People has starts to point out…"_

The news just went into details covering the incident as I dug into my pancake meal with gusto. Despite the sweetness of the syrup and from the pancakes themselves, I find my mood just souring over the news.

The way the interviewed public starts talking about the incident, on how it tarnishes the good reputation of Yuuei and its security, all of it just reminds me of the major event that will signal the end of the era of All Might, the incident that will change the entire society in the whole, good and bad.

And all of it started with the trespassing of the school by in lack of a better term, superpowered _thugs_.

Cleaning my plate of my breakfast delight, I turn off the TV with a tired sigh. The reminder of the end of All Might's career as the Symbol of Peace really left a bad taste in my mouth, even more than knowing the series of events that lead up to it.

All Might will retire as a Pro Hero, that much is a guarantee and no amount of planning is going to change it. Even if I manage to prevent Bakugou from being kidnapped, the wounds he has suffered from All-For-One's hands along with his depleting power would force him to step down eventually, if not this year than maybe the next. The days of All Might's era is ending soon, and knowing that it is something that I could never prevent is soul-crushing.

"Dammit, I'm doing it again!" I mutter out as I put my plate into the sink, "There's no point in thinking about stuff like that!"

I really need to stop doing that… and sitting around at home is just going to make those thoughts louder…

Maybe I'll take a walk. That might clear my head a little.

Deciding on that, I got away from the kitchen sink and head for my room to change. The sudden turn however swipes my hair into my face, and the sour scent burns my nostrils.

Okay, shower first, then go for a walk.

* * *

A quick shower and a change of clothes later, I'm out on the streets just wandering about. Maybe I'll head for the shopping district nearby to do some window shopping, and maybe check out the library. A bit of reading might stomp away those nasty thoughts of mine. Glancing up reveals the blue skies with a few clouds just floating about, the warm spring breeze blowing into my hair every couple of minutes.

I've decided to dress a little light for the warm spring season, a blue t-shirt with white stripes on the side and a pair dark green knee-length shorts with a pair of red sneakers with grey soles.

Passing into the shopping district, I took a look around the different clothing shop display, taking note of the recent fashion. I pass by a flower shop that is having a sale on roses of all things, even peeking into the pet shop with a few cute little rabbits nibbling away at their leafy meals.

This is better. No thoughts about the impending danger, just a good day to be outside. This is exactly what I needed.

Maybe I'll take another look at those cute rabbits-

"Oh, Tatsuya-san!"

I was then stopped in my tracks when a familiar voice calls out to me. Turning around, I took notice of, to my upmost surprise, Kirishima of all people walking to me in a pattern V-neck shirt under opened red hoodie and a pair of jeans and red sneakers. I am surprised, what he doing in the same neighborhood?

"Oh, Kirishima-san." I greeted back.

"What a coincidence. I didn't know you live in the same area."

"Same here. What are you up to?"

"Just a walk. Being coop-up at home is driving me nuts. How about you?" He asked, his gaze looking down towards my hand, "Is your hand okay?"

"Oh, it's fine. Nothing too damaging, according to Recovery Girl." I explain as I raise my bandaged hand to show him. The wound still looks a little raw despite Recovery Girl's treatment, so I cover it up with bandages before I went out. Hopefully it would heal up by tomorrow morning, and not leave a scar.

"That's a relief."

"And you?" I asked, "Are you doing okay from yesterday?"

"Oh, me? I'm totally fine. Just a few bruises here and there, nothing to worry about." He stated with a toothy grin flexing his arm which sharpens with his hardening quirk, "If there's one thing that's good about my quirk, is that I can hardly get hurt! Much, anyways."

"Yeah, I definitely see that…"

"Speaking of getting hurt, that reminds me. You went to the infirmary with Midoriya and All Might, right?" He asked, "Are they fine? I mean, All Might is All Might, but Midoriya doesn't look that good back then."

"Both of them are fine, if I remember right… Midoriya-san doesn't seem that badly hurt the last time I saw them…"

I'm sure they are fine… Recovery Girl has healed his broken legs within seconds the first time, not to mention that All Might mostly got away with his surgical wounds opening up which she patched up pretty neatly yesterday. If you exclude All Might's time limit decreasing by an hour or so, they are perfectly fine.

"That's good news…" He lets out a sigh, "That has been bugging me all of last night…"

"Huh?" That's not what I expect to hear from him of all people.

Come to think of it… the manga did show the more vulnerable side of him in his past. Wasn't there a point which he nearly stopped trying to become a Hero because he felt he wasn't good enough to be one?

"I-It's nothing, really…" He noted, "It's just a small thing. No big deal."

"…Okay…"

Man, he looks rather gloomy compared to his usual energetic self… guess the incident left a bigger mark on him than I originally thought… My mind than went to one of the more later arcs, in which he plays a pivotal role in securing victory in a certain mission. He will bounce back, stronger and tougher than ever, that much I am certain of.

*GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWLLL*

"…"

"…"

I felt my face burning as I clenched my stomach in sheer embarrassment. Damn it, stomach; why do you have to be so loud today?! And right in front of one of my classmates too…!

"Oh yeah, it's way past noon now." Kirishima noted as he looks at his phone. I look at mine as well, the time shown being past two in the afternoon. I must have lost track of time wandering about. I _did_ spend quite a long time looking into the pet shop just now.

Those little bunnies are just too cute~!

"You know… um… I think there's a small café down that street." He then pointed out to me, "Want to grab a bite with me?"

"Are you sure?" I asked, "I don't want to bother you."

"It's not like I have anything better to do."

"Well… in that case…"

* * *

"Thank you! Please come again!"

As he walks out of the cake store, Taikou looked down at the box of cake he has in his possession. A simple strawberry shortcake, the only thing that wouldn't dent his allowance.

'Hopefully, this would make Genko feel better.'

Knowing his own childhood friend, she is probably either sulking over something or keep on brooding over it. Despite her outgoing and cheery nature, she has a bad habit of keeping anything bad to herself.

But if there is one thing that he knows will cheer her up is, it is sweets. Or more accurately, cakes and pastries of all sorts. For as long as he known her, she has a notorious sweet-tooth. Whenever she is either in a bad mood or just sulking, a simple cream puff is more than enough to lighten the mood.

And thankfully, the shop that she is a big fan of has a sale on their cakes today.

"Now then…" He mumbles to himself as he took out his phone, "I wonder if she is home right now-hm?"

Across the street, passing on by is the friend in question with one of her classmates, Kirishima if he remembers his name correctly. He doesn't know much about him, the times they meet is during lunch break and even then, they rarely ever interacted with each other.

'Huh, so he stays in the same neighborhood as us.'

And then, a gaze to the right later, he took notice of a pink skinned girl about his age peeking at the two from behind a shop's billboard along with what seems to be floating clothes that form a somewhat feminine silhouette. The both of them donning a pair of sunglasses and fake moustache each.

'Okay… what in the actual… what?'

As soon as Genko and Kirishima enters a small café, the two girls as stealthy as they can sneak after them, which raises even more questions for him.

"This… is not how I planned today to go at all."

* * *

"I can pay for my own food, you know." I pointed out.

"Eh, what kind of man I be if I let a woman pay?" He stated.

"It's kind of annoying."

"Well, too bad."

Letting out a sigh, I took a bite at my BLT sandwich as I took a glance at the person that I'm having my late lunch with. The last thing I was expecting from this day off of mine is to get treated by Kirishima, again.

Despite my insistence, he ended up paying for my part of the meal, a simple set meal with a sandwich that comes with a drink of any choice which I pick a grape soda. He picked the same, only it is grilled chicken and he chooses cola.

What is with him and not letting me pay for my food? Is this something to do about his quest for manliness or something? I mean, I get the whole chivalrous mindset, but even so, there has to be a limit to all of that! At least let a girl buy her own lunch! It's not like we're dating or anything…

"Got to say, this is a nice place." I added in, "The price isn't that steep, even for a café, the food is good, but it doesn't seem like the type of place you would go."

"Yeah, it isn't." He shrugged his shoulders in response, "But a classmate from middle school once told me that girls like this kind of places. And I kind of want to made it up to you for last time…"

Oh, guess that time with at the ramen store didn't sit well with him? Come to think of it, I think I saw him getting scolded by Ashido the day after. Ramen and teenage girls don't really mix, after all. Then again, I'm not like other girls out there. With me being a reincarnation and all that.

"That would explain that time with Ashido…" I commented out loud.

"Yeah, she really tears into me for what I did…" He groans out.

"But I had a good time back then." I pointed out, Kirishima looking at me with a surprise look, "I like ramen, and the store's is pretty good. Not to mention the whole food challenge thing was a blast!"

"Oh yeah! You really surprised me! I've never seen someone eat so much so fast before, let alone a girl!"

"Hehe~ I'm a master food warrior, I have you know! I once defeated the infamous giant log cake challenge!"

"No way! The one where you have to finish like three whole swiss roll cakes within thirty minutes?! I've tried that and I barely made it through one when the time went out!"

"Oh yeah, she did that."

A voice suddenly interjects itself into our conversation, and a glance to my right reveals Taikou standing there with a somewhat deadpanned/surprised look on his face in a red shirt and blue jeans. When I saw the plastic bag in his hand and the logo on it, my mind immediately stopped and the realization of its contents filled it as I can feel my mouth waters a little.

"And boy does she has a stomachache after that–"

"Is that bag from the Winged Cat store?!" I almost shouted in excitement.

"…Yeah, strawberry shortcake." He nodded with a grin, "There's a sale on it, so I got it."

"Is it for me?!"

"Why else would I get it?"

"Thank you, Taikou!" I jumped and tackle him in a hug, "Best Friend Forever!" As soon as I let go him, he passes the plastic bag to me with a somewhat red cheeked expression, which I gratefully accept as I twirls around with it humming happily.

Today may start out sad and depressing, but it turns out great in the end! The future arcs may be looming over me, but despite knowing that, I am now confident that I'll be able to handle whatever that comes my way.

That's what heroes do, after all.

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Omake**

"Those this happens often?" Kirishima asked curiously as he watches at his classmate spinning around holding on the plastic bag.

"More than you know it." Taikou stated, "By the way, I like to point out the two stalkers you have." The red-haired teen follows his finger to the table opposite them, the two girls sitting there flinched who are unaware of how obvious they are right now. Even with the 'disguise' they don, it is obvious who they are.

"Ashido?! Hagakure?!"

"Hehehe… busted…" Mina sheepishly rubbing the back of her head with her invisible partner-in-crime.

"We saw you guys talking, so we want to see if you will do it right this time…" Hagakure explained, "Plus tailing you guys are fun."

"…And I thought my classmates are 'quirky'." Taikou mutters to himself, as his childhood friend continues twirling without a care in the world.

* * *

 **There! Finished with this chapter! Finally, this filler chapter is hard to write! I mean, with slice of life being my one and only achilles' heel and all that. With that being said, I am hoping to better refine myself into this. Slice of life is one of my favorite genre in manga and anime with a few exceptions and I really want to get better in writing them.**

 **Sorry it took so long; this chapter is a bitch to write and I only finish it after getting over my writer's block.**

 **Last chapter, I asked you guys on an input on where Genko should go in the whole workplace experience arc (Yes, that is what it is officially called, considering that there is a REAL internship arc much further down), and a lot of you guys seems rather confused, so I guess I should be more specific.**

 **I really don't want Genko to get involved in the whole Stain arc. That is Todoroki, Iida and Izuku arc, no place for Genko in there.**

 **I kind of want it to be like a mini-arc that Genko herself have to deal with, and what arc it might be depends on what Hero you want her to study under.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Upcoming Sports Festival**

* * *

Classes restarted on the very next day. And it was hectic.

I barely made it to class, with reporters still skulking about the district and ambushing our students left and right. I nearly got ambushed myself, if Taikou hasn't pull me away from their microphones. I think Shinsou did something with them the moment I wasn't looking. I sure hope he doesn't get into trouble for using his Quirk outside of campus…

The moment I walked into the classroom, I was immediately pulled to my seat by my invisible classmate and her pink-skinned partner-in-crime to 'interrogate' me.

"So? How did it go?!" Ashido asked excitedly.

"How did what go?"

" _What_ , she says!" Hagakure shouted in agony, "Your date! With Kirishima?"

"Kirishima? What-Oh! You mean yesterday!" I realized, them nodding to it, "That wasn't a date. We just met on the streets and he treated me to a meal."

"Oh, my _god_!" The horned girl groaned, "Can you believe this girl?!"

"When a guy and a girl have a meal together, that's a DATE!" The invisible schoolgirl stated firmly, "Didn't you go on dates back in middle school?"

"…No?" I shrugged at their question, "I mean, I have eaten with Taikou before. And Shinsou. Sometimes both of them together. But those doesn't qualify as dates, doesn't it?"

"…Oh god, we have a late bloomer here…"

"And with a face like that, and that bodyline…"

I raise my eyebrow at their implication. I myself doesn't consider myself a late bloomer, it's more along the lines of not interested. Sure, I have considered maybe settling down one day, but right now I'm more invested into becoming a Pro Hero first. I'll look for romance after that.

If it worked with dad, why not me?

"Tatsuya-chan's lack of romance aside, did any of you guys watch the news last night?" Hagakure asked, getting nods from a few of us and me, "It's crazy that we've got a few seconds of screen time! But I guess no one notices me hanging out in the background…"

"Well, your costume is just gloves, after all…" I pointed out.

"We are a real big deal now." Kaminari exclaims, "The new channels LOVE us! We're basically celebrities!"

"Oh, get over yourself." Jirou tells them, "The famous Hero Course of Yuuei is attacked by Villains, that's all they care about."

"Who knows what would have happened if the teachers haven't shows up?" Sero noted, "It's terrifying to think about."

Conversations like that pop up left and right about the classroom, topics like the fight between All Might and Nomu as well as our possibly celebrity-like status being talked about left and right. I personally didn't want to think about that time any more than I really have to. After all, being at ground zero isn't all great, nearly getting blown away by their exchange isn't something I want to experience again.

And speaking of ground zero…

I took a glance to my left, Midoriya flinched when our eyes meet as he turns his attention to his desk with a slight ting of blush on his cheeks. Almost forgot about this little issue.

I'm not sure if the principal has told All Might about what I've told him, and who knows what the Symbol of Peace would do with that knowledge. If anything, he might be on guard around me from now on. The last thing I need is for the main character to be cautious with me…

Come to think of it, compared to later down the road due to the tutelage of Gran Torino, he definitely doesn't have proper training like some of our top tier classmates. Bakugou is basically the trope of the talented douchebag incarnate so he doesn't count.

I wonder if-

"Attention class!" Iida suddenly shouted from the podium, "Homeroom is about to begin! Everyone, please go to your seats!"

"Um… we're already in our seats." Sero points out for him, "And Ashido and Hagakure already went back to their desks a moment ago."

"Dang it!" He grumbles I witness him sit back down with a somewhat frustrated scowl on his face.

A few seconds later, the door to the classroom slides open to reveal not Aizawa, but dad instead, "Good morning, Class 1-A." He greets us as he slowly walks towards the podium, "I know it's not my time period, but with Eraserhead being as injured as he is, I am assigned as his substitute until he recovers."

"I am glad to have you here, sensei!" Iida greeted.

"As I am you. But sadly, we don't have time for pleasantries right now." He tells us, "After all, you all have to face one heck of a battle soon."

That caught everyone off guard as we all waited anxiously for him to elaborate. I am panicking in my own head as I wasn't expecting this at all! What battle is there?! I mean, I don't think there's anything after the whole USJ arc and the anime didn't provide any fillers like that at all-

"Of course, I'm talking about the upcoming Sports Festival."

""" **SO ORDINARY!"""**

"Damn it, don't scare us like that!" I shouted. Dad, seriously?! You couldn't have start with that first?!

"But wait, is it really such a good idea to host it?" Kaminari asked worriedly.

"Didn't Villains just sneak in?" Jirou added worriedly.

"Yeah, they could all attack again." Ojiro noted.

"According to the administration, it is a necessity in order to show that the threat has been handled and the school is still as safe as it always has. Additionally, they are planning on beefing up the security for this year." Dad explains, "With that being said, the Sports Festival is an important event that impact all students in Yuuei. It's not something we can cancel willy-nilly."

"Because the nation's top heroes will be watching too, right?" Yaoyarozu asked, "They'll be scouting for us!"

"They'll be looking to hire us as Sidekicks once we graduated. That's how it's done." Kaminari noted.

"But then some Sidekicks would never manage to go solo." Jirou bit out, "They're sidekicks FOREVER. That'll be you, Kaminari."

"G-Grgk!"

"NATURALLY!" The emphasis on that word brought everyone attention back to him as dad continues to explain, "You'll gain valuable experience and popularity if you were to be picked up by a big-named Hero. But the window for such a thing is small, miss it and your careers might never take off. So, shows the Pros your best, and strive for your future the best possible way you can."

"You only get one chance per year, which means three chances in your lifetime. If you are planning to be an aspiring Hero, this is one event you can't afford to miss out. That means you better work hard and not slack off, understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good, then class is dismissed."

* * *

Once our class is released for lunch, the excitement from that announcement earlier this morning bursts open, everyone all chattering and talking about what they would do at the festival.

And with everyone all busy with their own things, I decide to make my move.

"Hey, Midoriya?" I calls out to the green haired teen who flinches at my voice, "Sorry to bother you, but can I talk to you for a moment? In PRIVATE?"

"S-S-Sure! Of-Of-Of Course!" He nodded nervously.

As he went to apologize to his two friends, Iida's eyes met mine. For a moment, he seems to have an intense stare, before he adjusted his glasses and assuring his friend with the same eccentric movements he is known for. Huh? What was that about?

* * *

We both made it outside to a small corner near the stairs, where there's not much traffic considering it is in the opposite way to the cafeteria.

After checking for any possible eavesdropping, I turn my attention back to the future No.1 Hero. He can't stop shaking his knees, his back is hunched forward, and whenever our eyes meet, his eyes immediately look the other way. God damn, it's like I'm looking at a puppy! All those fanart of him is right, he is a damn cinnamon roll!

"Calm down, will you?" I asked worriedly, my frustration leaking into my tone a little, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not Bakugou." I let out a small growl at the same time, "It's about All Might and you."

"Hrk! I-I see…"

"Let me first assure you." I place my hands on his shoulder, noticing that I'm a couple inches taller than him, "I would not breath a word about All Might to anyone, or the nature of your quirk to him."

"Re-Really?"

"I swear on my heart."

"O-Okay…"

"Good." I nodded with a smile as I let go his shoulder, he somewhat eases up a little to my relief, "And lastly, I want to help you."

"Huh? He-Help me?"

"Yes, help you." I repeated myself, "Look it is obvious that, if I may be blunt, you lack any REAL proper training besides the usual strength training and cardio workouts. And, a lack of a better word, behind the curve compared to rest of us in the whole quirk department."

"T-That's true… It's troubling." He noted grasping his hand a little, "I'm still having trouble controlling how much I use at one time." He then blinked a little, "Come to think of it, there is this one time–"

"Ah-Ah-Ah! Save that for All Might." I tells him, "He has way more experience than I do. He'll know what to do." He nodded and I continue, "What I am proposing is that you could train with me!"

"Huh? W-With you?"

"Yeah!" I nodded, "I know a guy that practices martial arts and has been teaching me for about…" I counted a little, "About five to six years now? If I ask, he might teach you a few things too! Maybe it can help with regulating you-know-what, with the whole control the flow of the body energy and all that. Not to mention that my quirk is somewhat similar to 'it'. What do you say?"

"Of course! Martial arts are famous for their controlling the flow of energy in their body, and One-For-All is somewhat similar…" He then starts mumbling non-stop, a sight that I am quite familiar with personally, in this life and the previous one. Got to say, it's kind of weird and endearing at the same time.

"HAHAHA!" A loud boisterous voice can be heard, knocking Midoriya out of his trance as loud footsteps stomp up the stairs before All Might slides in front of us with a proud pose, "Midoriya-shounen… Is HERE!"

"…Just a quick question…" I pointed out with a raised eyebrow, "Why do always do that? The poses and the catchphrase, I mean. This ain't Jojo." Then the image of All Might doing such a pose, more specially the Jonathan Joestar pose, pops into my head, forcing me to push my hand against my mouth before I became a loud cackle of laughter, "On-On se-second tho-thoughts, you-you do y-y-y-you…"

"Ooooookay…?" I can hear All Might's eyebrow raising in response.

"Do you need something, All Might?" Midoriya asked.

"Ah, yes. I want to ask if you'll…" He then raises his tied lunchbox in a rather feminine manner with his hands raised to his chest with one holding onto the lunchbox, "Have lunch with me?"

"PFFTT!" I almost burst out laughing from that phrase alone. Add the whole girly posture and it made for quite a ridiculous scene that I never thought I have the pleasure of seeing.

"Oh! S-Sure…" He nodded before turning to me, "Um… Tatsuya-san… about the–"

I lift my hand up to stop him from talking as I gather my breath into order before turning to him, "Don't worry. You don't have to accept right away. Just try to tell me the answer by the end of school, okay?"

"O-Okay." He nods before following All Might down the stairs.

Well… guess I'll go for lunch.

* * *

"Hey! Genko! Saved you a spot!" Taikou calls out to me from our table. With him is our usual group of friends with the small exception of Kirishima and Tetsutetsu for some reason; although the chanting of people at another table with the two turfs of spikey hairs of red and silver is suggesting something, all sitting down and halfway finishing their lunch. However, someone else is with them this time.

"Hey there." Shinsou waved at me in his usual deadpan expression.

"Shinsou?!" I stated in surprise, my purple-haired friend is sitting at the table munching away at his omelet rice, "I didn't expect to find you here."

"He came to us, actually." Tsuyu tells me.

"He's a pretty nice guy." Pony stated with a smile, "If a bit quiet…"

I looked at him a raised eyebrow, he replies with his own and a shrug.

Now that I think about, I've should have recognized Shinsou the moment I met him. He is a fan favorite for a lot of people, and his appearance is rather distinct and obvious. Damn me and my lack of remembering plot…

"What about you?" Taikou asks me, "You're usually very early."

"I have some matters to take care of." I tells him as I sat down on the table, "Nothing much."

"Speaking of which… what are your guys plans for the sports festival?" Shinsou asks us, "It must be a really big deal for you people from the Hero Course."

"You have to remind me of that!" Taikou groans in agony as he lands his face in his hand, "I was looking forward to Golden Week, too…"

"Oh yeah, it happens on the tail end of Golden Week." I pointed out as I took a bite of my tempura prawn, "At least we'll have the most of it to prep for the festival." I swallowed my bite, "Well, I'll probably be jogging every morning and evening, maybe practice a few forms before breakfast."

"Want to meet up to train, then?" My sleepy-eyed friend asked, "It's been a while since we actually spar with each other."

"Sure, if I am able…" I nodded before turning to my childhood friend, "What about you, Taikou? Want to join us?"

"…I guess…"

"How about you guys?" I asked Tsuyu and Pony.

"Thanks for the offer, but I have my own training schedule to work on, kero." The frog girl stated.

"Same here." The American nodded, "But maybe next time?"

"Sure."

*SLAM*

My attention turns to the table I passed by before, where the crowd suddenly cheers as a harden arm of Kirishima is raised up with a victory cry.

"So…" I pointed at them with a raised eyebrow.

"Kirishima wants to see whose quirk is the better one and Tetsutetsu likes a good challenge." Taikou explains, "Guess we know the answer now."

"Boys will be boys." Tsuyu commented, me and Pony nodding in agreement.

* * *

"Now remember, you all only have two weeks to train and prepare for the sports festival!" Dad tells us with we all gathered at the track field in our gym uniforms, "So I don't want to see anyone slacking off today, understand?!"

""Yes, sir!""

Due to the upcoming sports festival, all afternoon classes are to be on hold from tomorrow onwards, as a way to let us have enough time to train for it. Got to admit, it would free up my schedule quite a bit and allow me time to practice my forms after school. Got to ask Shinsou if his classes are the same, that way we can link up for practice.

With self-improvement being the goal here, we all disperse into our selective groups while some just went solo like Bakugou and Todoroki.

I decide to head for the tracks to practice my running, my speed back in USJ is really lacking so I want to improve on my time. And I need to find some way to charge up my quirk without relying on a source of electricity. Wonder what else have a charge of electricity…?

"Hey, Tatsuya-san?"

Just as I was about to start my lap, Midoriya runs up to me, "I want to talk to you about… you know."

"Oh, sure. Want to go somewhere-"

"Oh, n-no! It's cool, it's n-nothing that serious!" He assures me with a sort of panicking waving of his arms, "It's about your offer." My eyebrows raised a little at that as he continues, "I've… talked with All Might, and he thinks that is a good idea as well. Although I would need to keep to my usual training routine, and maybe…"

I let out a small giggle at the start of his mumbling, "So…"

"Ah, I-I mean… I would like to accept your offer… to train with you."

"…I see." I nodded with a smile, "That's good to hear." At least now, he will have a much better chance dealing with the plot. With hope, he might handle Muscular without breaking his arms. I sure hope Budo will be around. It's better if a master practitioner teaches him instead of a couple of amateurs… but I guess sparring with us could work as it is…

"What is your address?"

"Huh? O-Oh! It's…"

With this, my plan to alter the plot begins…

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Omake**

"Fifty minutes?!"

"Yeah… my time limit is getting shorter by the day." Yagi Toshinori tells his student as he pours him a cup of tea, "I can barely maintain my muscle form for an hour now."

"It's that bad…" Izuku mutters to himself worriedly, "Sorry…"

The Symbol of Peace inwardly chuckles at his reply. He always knew that the young man is similar to him in many ways. Ambitions, determination, that drive to save others, even his personality in some ways. It's like looking into a mirror. "Don't apologize! We're so alike, you and I!" He laughed, "I wanted to talk to you about a few things, is all."

"Oh, okay…"

"Well, first thing first… Tatsuya-shoujo." Mentioning her brought a slight flinch in his student to his grim realization, "I take it that she has sought you out about One-For-All?"

"N-No! She didn't at all!" Izuku tells him, "Actually, she said that she wouldn't say anything to anyone. In fact, she wants to help me."

"Help you?"

"Yeah. She knows that I couldn't regulate One-For-All properly and wanted to help me with it." He then turns to his master and adding on, "Speaking of that, I wanted to tell you something about that. There was one time which that was no kickback when I used it!"

"Ah, I think I remember you mentioning that before." He stated, "Was there anything different about that time?"

"Different…? The only difference is…" The future no.1 Hero thought for a moment, and then came to a realization, "I've used it on… that black Villain…"

'…The Nomu?' Toshinori wonders about that. That beast of a man isn't exactly a normal person, with its multiple quirks and lack of a mind. If that is the case… "It might be due to its Shock Absorption Quirk taking the full impact of your punch, absorbing the recoil with it."

"Ah! That may be! It did feel like I was punching a cushion!" He then came to a grim realization, "I guess that means that I've made no improvements, after all…"

"It may seem so, but…" The teacher thinks for a moment, "Maybe you need a better visualization then the egg. Something to help you visualizing it. You could ask your classmates for help, if you can."

"Now that you mention it, Tatsuya-san said that she knows someone that could teach me martial arts to help regulate One-For-All." He stated, "And also stated that her quirk is similar to One-For-All as well."

"Similar…?" If he remembers Class 1-A's student profiles that he has re-read over and over again in the months leading to the start of the semester, her quirk is describes as absorbing electricity and using it to accelerate her reflexes. In a sense, it is similar to One-For-All-

"Oh my goodness…"

"All Might…?"

"Midoriya-shounen. I fear that Tatsuya-shoujo might have a better understanding of One-For-All than me…"

* * *

 **Yes! Sports Festival is on the way! Man, this is pretty difficult to write about, even though I have an idea on how to write it, but when it came to put down words…**

 **Anyway, yes, Midoriya and Genko would be training buddies! I have a lot of ideas on how it may work, and his interaction with Taikou and Shinsou, especially the latter. I have already picturing the butterfly effect coming into play soon…**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Before the Sports Festival**

As the sun slowly set down in the evening sky, I slow down my jogging pace as I turn my attention towards the street. I then took in a couple of deep breaths before reaching into my pocket and pulls out a button battery. And then, I close my hand around it as I feel the charge filling my body.

"Ready!" I call out as I prepare to sprint forward.

"Okay!" Shinsou's voice calls out in the distance, "On your marks…"

"GO!"

I push my foot back and rockets down the street. The surrounding blurs as I try to force my quirk to push my body faster and faster. Soon enough, everything besides in front of me became somewhat of a tunnel vision as everything else just faded into splashes of color as I felt myself going way faster than I previously could.

A purple blur passes on my right and I immediately pull the brakes, digging my heel and pressing my sole on the pavement hard as I actually hear the infamous skidding sound of braking race cars coming from my shoes' soles. After slowing down to a halt, I jog back to my middle-school friend letting out a few pants, "How was it?"

"Hm… you actually doubled your previous record." He pointed out, showing my speed on the speed-o-meter to be 210mph. Wow, that's crazy! I didn't think I would improve this much!

"That's nuts!" I look at my hands as I clenched them into tight fists, "Guess those speed practices after school have really paid off."

"You'll definitely get some top Heroes attention now. I don't think anyone in the first year has your level of speed, except maybe that glasses class president of yours."

"Yeah, Iida is pretty fast…"

"GUK!"

We turn to the sound of groaning as Taikou stopped his kicks to help Midoriya get back on his feet, "You really need to stop thinking too hard." He tells him, "That just slows you down. Got to make quick and fast decisions, not think out the entire scenario."

"R-Right!" The inheritor of the Symbol of Peace got into a loose stance that feels more street fight than an actual proper stance as he got right back into sparring.

As I watch him weave in and out to avoid my childhood friend's fast kicks, it brought up the thought of how much improvement he has made over the past couple of weeks.

In the past week leading to Golden Week, I manage to synchronize my schedule with Midoriya's as well as Taikou's and Shinsou's to set up this practice session. Sadly, I later found out that Budo won't be free to help teach my green haired friend, he mentioning about getting placed in-charge of one heck of a case.

Due to that, we're left with no other choice and try to teach him the best we can and moved our training sessions from Taikou's apartment complex to Training Ground Beta.

The training grounds around campus have been opened up for the upcoming Sports Festival, which allow all of us to train our quirks as much as we liked. But it is only opened until 7pm, which leaves us not much time to practice especially after school, at least until Golden Week starts anyway.

But despite all that and having a shaky start at first, Midoriya picks up in things very quickly.

The only thing we have done with him is sparring. Besides we helping him with his form here and there and showing him a more effective way of punching forward than his usual telephone punches, it was sparring match after sparring match between the four of us.

And the improvement does show, with him managing to get in a few good hits on us with there being this one time that he manages to get a good hit on Taikou's nose which he later apologized profusely afterwards. He's starting to shape up as a proper fighter now.

As for Midoriya's control over One-For-All?

" _Full Cowl_!"

I am brought out of my thoughts as I saw my green haired classmate clenching his fists while he stood in a power-up stance that came right out of Dragon Ball, his body starts to glow as green lightning crackles across his entire body with his emerald eyes starts to shine in a similar fashion to All Might's.

Yup, as it turns out, he figured it out pretty quickly as soon as I gave him a hint.

* * *

 _Flashback (One week prior)_

" _I feel like you're using One-For-All incorrectly." I pointed out as we are walking towards the station together after our first session. Taikou has to head back first as it was his turn to buy the groceries and Shinsou mentioned that he has something to do and left before any of us._

" _Incorrectly?" He asked me, "What do you mean?"_

 _I raise my hand as if to flick the air, "When you use it, you are calling on it like it's a separate entity, right?"_

" _Y-Yeah! I-It's exactly like that! How do you know!?"_

" _Um…" Crap, I didn't think this through. Let's see, let's see… how to make it so that it doesn't… Ah, bingo! "Y-Your reaction time! Whenever you use your quirk, it looks like you are really concentrating hard on it!"_

" _Oh, is that so…?"_

" _Y-Yeah…" I let out a small sigh in relief. That was close, nearly blow my own cover there…_

 _The first step in my plan to alter the plot is for Midoriya to gain Full Cowl early, so to get him more prep up for the Sports Festival in order to help build him in preparation of the bigger threats later down the road, like Stain for example. If he can get a better understanding of One-For-All before the whole job experience training, than Gran Torino might have a better time training him and getting him stronger than his canon counterpart. With enough time and luck, he might get enough strength to deal with Muscular without resorting to suicide attacks._

 _Although… asking him to take on the likes of Muscular who is basically a low tier Hulk-like villain is a bit out there…_

 _But in order to do that, he must find out about it on his own. There's no point if I tell him how it works on the get go. So, here I am. Trying to throw hints at him and hope he figures it out._

" _A-Anyways, to use it like that isn't how quirks usually function. That could be why you are having quite a lot of trouble with it."_

" _What do you mean?" He asked._

" _Quirks are… like a muscle, they are a part of your body." I explain, "You don't usually have to concentrate on your legs to walk, right? Same with quirks. You can't think on how to use it, you just use it."_

" _I… don't really follow…"_

" _Okay, let's use my quirk as an example." I pointed at myself and continues to explain, "If you remember, whenever I absorb electricity, the energy absorbed is circulating around my body in a continuous circuit. And whenever I choose to use that power, I didn't think about using it, I just run and used it. My quirk automatically uses it for me!"_

" _Ah… like winding up a toy!" He pointed out, "You are basically winding yourself up by absorbing electricity and then after that, you just let go and it runs…on…its…own…"_

 _I look back at him as Midoriya just stop walking and stood there with his eyes wide open as if something just became clear, "Is something wrong?"_

" _I… I get it now! I finally understand!"_

" _H-Huh? Get what?"_

" _You are right, I've been using One-For-All incorrectly this whole time!" He stated with a smile, "All this time, the image in my mind is that I have turn on a 'switch' in my mind to activate it, a switch on my arms and legs to let the energy flow through. But that's not right at all! Instead of letting it just flow through…" He clenches his fists tightly, "I should have just let it flood my entire body and–"_

" _Whoa, whoa! Hold it!" I immediately stop him and grab his shoulders firmly, "I'm glad you figure things out, but let's not get ahead of ourselves there! The last thing we need is for you to blow yourself up just to test it!"_

" _Y-Yeah! You're right… Too bad Aizawa-sensei is still at the hospital…"_

" _But Recovery Girl would still be around, so at least she should be able to heal any fractures, right?"_

* * *

The very next day after school, he did exactly that and with as much luck he can get as the main character, he just barely managed to get Full Cowl working with no major repercussion. From what he said, it was about 3% of One-For-All's full potential power, a full 2% lesser than his canon's first-time cowling. But beggars can't be choosers so it's good enough right now.

Right off the bat, the difference is truly shown. He was able to keep up with my speed, even though mostly it's just him just trailing close behind me, and his punches does get an extra oomph to them when we sparred a second time. Full Cowl became his go-to mode from than on, him using it every time we got into a spar.

Although it did little to nothing to help him in the spar as most of us still keep knocking off his feet in the first few seconds.

My attention is then brought back to the sparring match when Midoriya manages to get in close to Taikou and strikes out a straight punch at him, my childhood friend reacting by igniting his feet and somersaulting over him with small embers trickling behind him. The moment he is behind him, his left leg burns brighter as he launches a back kick into his opponent's back, sending him tumbling onto the ground.

"That was great!" Taikou stated with a thumbs-up, "You nearly got me back there! You've really improved!"

"That was amazing too, Naru-san!" Midoriya tells him with a smile, "I didn't know your quirk could let you fly!"

"Well, not really." He pointed out, "It's more of… jettisoning me up? I could create lift, but only at the direction opposite of where I'm blasting my flames at."

"But it still means you can fly, right?"

"I… guess…?"

"Okay, okay, enough with how Taikou's quirk works." I tell them as both me and Shinsou walks up to them, "You guys done with sparring?"

"Pretty much." Taikou stated as he stretches out his legs, "If anything, when there's a fighting portion, we'll be well-prepared."

"And there always will be." Midoriya stated, "Every year, the Sports Festival always have ended with a large-scale tournament of some kind, usually one that involves combat of some kind. It is the biggest portion of the Sports Festival."

"Didn't you watch the Sport Festival last year, Taikou?" Shinsou asked.

"I did. Most of it, anyways." My childhood friend stated, "That time, I was tasked with buying snacks so I only manage to watch the last match."

"His entire apartment has a large viewing party for it every year." I explain to Midoriya, who nodded in understanding.

"Either way, I think we're fully prepared for whatever the Sports Festival is going to throw at us." Taikou grins clenching his fist, "And a lot more." He then turns to Shinsou, "You better put up your A-game, Shinsou. Because I'll be aiming to win this whole thing."

"Glad to." He nodded with a smile of his own, "No way I'll passing this opportunity away. I'm going to get into the Heroics Department at all costs."

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" I asked teasingly, "Because there's no way any of you guys are going to keep up with me."

"Dream on!"

"Oh, I'll find a way."

We all shared a glance at each other before we each let out a small chuckle at our declaration. The Sports Festival, regardless of the plot or not, is one of the largest events that I'll ever has the chance to be part of, and the biggest opportunity for me to become a top-tier Hero in the same aspect as my father. It's only one in three chances, so I have to really impress the top brass in this.

If that means I have to beat Taikou and Shinsou here, then I'll gladly do so. After all, they'll do the same if it were me.

"What's wrong, Midoriya?"

Taikou's words brought me back out of my thoughts when he asked my classmate that.

"Oh! I-It's nothing!" He nervously laughed, "It's just… I'm kind of envious of your friendship."

"Why? Don't you have friends too?" He asked him.

"Yeah, but never like what you guys have…" He stated, "You and Tatsuya-san, it's kind of what I want things to be with Kacchan…"

Ah right… He and Bakugou are childhood friends too… but unlike me and Taikou, they are more of a bully and his victim than friends. Guess seeing me and Taikou is kind of difficult for him…

"Kacchan… you mean that blonde prodigy student? Bakugou Katsuki?" Shinsou pointed out, "I think I saw him around a few times, but he just scoffs me off whenever our eyes meet, it really grinds on my gears."

"I'll say." Taikou grumbles, "I get that he is the top student of our year, but his personality is so full of shit that it made the position pretty much invalid. Not to mention that most of the points he got in the entrance exam he got from kill-stealing mine!"

"Wait, he was in the same exam site as you!?" I asked in surprise. Talk about a small world!

"Yeah, and he is a huge dick about it, too! His explosions keep creating smoke clouds so we can't see much, not to mention that he keeps on taking most of the three-pointers for himself which left the rest of us salvaging for points with the one-pointers! And if that wasn't enough, the aftermath of his explosions nearly hurt a lot of people if I didn't manage to save them in time! Talk about rude!"

"Man, and I thought I've got it rough…" Shinsou points out.

"But in the Sports Festival, things are going to different." He grins as he slams his fist in his open palm, "There's no way I'm letting him just win. Even if I'm not going to get first, I'm going to make sure he doesn't."

"You have quite a grudge with him, huh?"

"Damn right, I do!"

I let out a small sheepish chuckle at his ranting on the reasons he hates the blonde teen as I recall the largest event that would change the world forever, which is all centered around that blonde dickhead. Oh boy, hopefully my plans for it will hold tight…

* * *

Days all flew by and soon enough, it was the day of the Sports Festival.

"Is everyone good and ready!?" Iida's shout echoes in our chatty prep room, "The event is about to start!"

"Are you nervous, Genko-chan?" Tsuyu asked me as she hands me a water bottle.

"A little." I chuckles as I finish my stretches, "Never been much of a crowd person myself…"

"Midoriya."

As I took a sip, my attention along with the rest of the class all turned to our second prodigy student, not just the one he called.

"Todoroki-san?" Midoriya asked curiously, "What is it?"

"Objectively speaking… I'm stronger than you. More capable."

"H-Huh!? W-Well, sure…"

"…All Might got his eye on you, doesn't he?" He stiffened at that comment, I'm trying to not to flinch to that as well, "Now I'm not about to pry into why that's the case, but regardless…"

"I WILL beat you."

For a moment, the entire room is silenced by his declaration of war against Midoriya, me included. If I recall correctly, his backstory is that his father, Endevour, basically raised him with the sole purpose of using him to surpass All Might, which translates to a very rough childhood. That scar on his left eye, if my memory is correct, is caused by his mother going somewhat insane and pouring hot water on his face which landed her in a mental hospital.

Now that I think about it, the Sports Festival is quite focused on him and Midoriya. And in the end…

"H-Hey, man!" Kirishima walks up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Why pick a fight NOW!? We're about to go on…"

Todoroki just shrugs his hand off and adds on coldly, "I really don't care. I'm not pretending to be anyone's friend here."

"Well, yeah. But…"

"…Todoroki. I'm not sure why… you felt the need to tell me you'll beat me…" Midoriya states out, "You're clearly stronger… And I can't truly measure up to most of the others here in skill…"

"C-Come on, Midoriya." The red-haired teen tells him, "Don't put yourself down–"

"But even so!" He abruptly interrupts him as he adds on, "Everyone else… even the kids from the other course are aiming for the top. And I… well, let me say this. I'm NOT going to fall behind. I'm going for it too, with everything I've got!"

"…Fine by me." He stated as calm as he always is.

"Okay, everyone, form up!" Iida suddenly shouts, "If we take any longer, we are going to late for the ceremony!"

Todoroki is the first to head out the door, with the rest of us following suit as I drain my bottle and check my gym pants' pockets for my stash of button batteries. When Midoriya walks past me, I put my hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Good luck."

"Y-Yeah! Y-You too!"

With that, we all head out of the room.

The Sports Festival is about to begin.

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 _Omake(Sorry, no omakes for this chapter… can't think of one)_

* * *

 **The Sports Festival arc has officially begun!**

 **Yes, this arc, oh boy, this arc… I'm going to have so much fun writing this! Sorry for the short chapter, but I didn't have much time.**

 **Now, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering, and yes, I'm giving Midoriya Full Cowl early. And you've got to admit, Genko's quirk does function in the similar fashion to One-For-All. As for most people, that might be a huge change to the story as Full Cowl gave him a huge advantage in terms of over abilities and it might undermine his underdog status a little but let me just say this.**

 **If it isn't obvious, Genko is planning for the long run and has plans on how to deal with future events, even if she hasn't unfurled them yet. And getting Midoriya Full Cowl early is essential to that.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Sports Festival, Part 1**

I let out a small nervous breath as I huddle together with my class near the entrance of the stadium. The echoes of the cheering crowd bounced around the corridor where we are waiting for our cue to enter, the vibrations of their screams passing through my skin.

This is it! It is now or never!

"And first up…!"

"That's the cue!" Iida informs us as he and Yaoyorozu leads us onwards towards the light at the end of the tunnel. The cheering and music got louder with each step took, with it my anxiousness rises as well. I can feel my hands shaking with anticipation as we took the last few steps before entering into the light.

"You know who I'm talking about! The miraculous rising stars who brushed off a Villain attack with their steely willpower! The first-years of the Hero Course! Iiiiiiiiiiiit's… Class A!"

With Present Mic's loud and energetic declaration, we step right into the stadium as the cheering and screaming intensifies. For a single moment, I was overwhelmed by the completely filled stadium, the spectators' screams echoing all around us as I saw glimpses of the video cameras pointing towards us. The sudden pressure of the fact that the world nation is watching us, watching me live on their TV brought shivers down my spine.

So… this is what it's like on this side…

"W-Whoa… what a crowd…" I heard Midoriya mutters out, his shoulders shaking with each breath he takes.

"And we're expected to put on the best performance we can in front of so many spectators…" Iida points out, "I suppose this is merely one more necessary skill if we hope to become Heroes."

"They're really giving us too much credit…" Kirishima pointed out, "But we won't let it shake us, right, Bakugou?"

"Nope. It just gets me all pumped up!" The explosion teen smirks, his palms already making sparks.

"Of course, it does…" I mumble to myself. What was I expecting coming from him?

"Next! While they didn't get a spotlight, keep an eye on these batch of fledgling Heroes as they might just surprise you! It's Class B!"

When I hear that declaration, I quickly looked back to the tunnels to see Class 1-B coming out. I manage to locate Taikou in the crowd and wave my arm at him. He notices me and replied with a wave of his own.

"Following Class B, it's Classes C, D and E of the General Studies! And here comes…"

The rest of Present Mic's words fell on deaf ears as I quickly looked towards the General Studies classes, scanning through the crowd for the tell-tale sign of messy purple hair. Sure enough, I spot Shinsou in there, who also spots me as well, leading him to give me a smile and a thumbs-up, which I return with one of my own.

I feel my anxiousness leave me body, replacing with adrenaline and excitement. Oh yeah… I'm now ready for anything! Bring it on, Sports Festival!

My attention is brought back to the front when a loud crack of a whip echoes from the stage.

"And introducing our beloved referee for the First Years this year… Please welcome the R-Rated Hero: Midnight!"

"Quiet down, everyone! It's time for the Athlete's Oath!" Midnight declares.

"Someone needs to tell Midnight-sensei about her outfit…" Kirishima mutters out with red dusting his cheeks.

"Yeah, it's really distracting." Kaminari agrees.

"You think that's distracting?" I point out with a grin, "You should see the outfit she wore before this one. Trust me, this is one is pretty tame compared to that."

"And as an additional point, can someone whose called the R-Rated Hero really be allowed to teach in a high school?" Tokoyami pointed out.

"I love this school!" I hear someone in Class 1-B cheers out, most likely Mineta from the voice.

"Pipe down!" She scolded us with another crack of her nine-tail whip (Don't ask why I know what that is), "First Years representative, would Bakugou Katsuki of Class 1-A please come forward?"

"WHAT?! It's _Kacchan_!?" Midoriya shouted in shock as the blonde delinquent shuffles past us to walk up to the stage.

"Must be because he placed first in the entrance exam." Sero pointed out.

"The 'Hero Course' entrance exam, you mean." A girl from the General Studies interjected.

I took a glance at Class 1-B, Taikou having a massive scowl on his face with smoke coming up from his legs already. Oh right… grudge. The first part of Sports Festival is going to be an interesting one…

The stadium became dead quiet when Bakugou walks up to the mic. I can taste the tension in the air as everyone is awaiting his speech. Although… knowing him…

"The Athlete's Oath…" He casually starts before inevitably stating as if he's talking about the weather, "Make no mistake. I'm going to take first place."

I let my palm hit my face as the boos and jeers from the other classes all start to erupt against the him as he steps off the stage and walks back to join us. Of course, he's going to say that, he's still the same overconfident jackass he always has been, what else is he going to say!?

"Don't get cocky, Class A!"

"You are on my shit-list, bastard! You hear me!? My. Shit. List!"

"You best watch your back!"

The damn bastard wasn't even fazed by the insults thrown at him, he just simply pushes pass us and got back to his spot. Damn bastard… now everyone thinks our class is the same as you!

Midnight then cracks a whip again, silencing the jeers in one fell swoop. "Now! Without any more delays, let's get the first event started!" A large hologram screen appears behind her with a slot machine like UI cycling through a bunch of panels, "These are the qualifiers! It's in this stage that so many are sent home crying every year!"

I think she over-exaggerating a bit, but at least she is much tamer than Present Mic. Even so, this could be tricky… in the manga, it is an obstacle race but with my presence here, there's the butterfly effect to consider here…

"And the fateful first event for this year is…" She pauses for dramatic effect as the UI locks onto one panel, "THIS!" She points out to the title of [Obstacle Race].

"Yes!" I pump my arms in victory. This is perfect! Not only it is as according to the plot so I would know what to expect, but with my quirk, this is going to be piece of cake!

"It's a race between every member of all eleven classes!" She explains as the starting gate raises from the floor around the exit out of the stadium, "The course is a four-kilometer lap around the stadium itself! And take note to remember, our school preaches freedom of all things! So, as long as you don't go off the course, _anything_ is fair game!"

Oh, right. Almost forgot about that little titbit… things just got a whole lot harder…

"Racers! To your positions!"

Everyone crowds around the starting gate as one of the lights on it lights up, indicating the countdown for us. I immediately reach into my pockets for a battery before noticing that Kaminari is right in front of me. Getting an idea that won't deplete my battery loadout, I carefully and quietly reach out and claps my hand on his shoulder.

"T-Tatsuya!?"

"Sharing is caring~"

I feel the charge filling in as the second light lights up. I immediately remove my hand when I have a complete charge before the third light signs off.

"START!"

The moment the siren signs off, I rocket through the entrance gate and down the tunnel, Iida and Midoriya close behind me but a tad bit too slow to be any of a real threat. We barely made it out of onto the actual track before the corridor became, as predicted, a re-telling of what I like to refer as the False Danger Alarm Incident.

"See ya!" I laughed as I shoots down the track at my top speed, leaving my other speedster buddies in the dust. Good thing there aren't small turns at this part of the track, so I can go full speed without worrying too much. I've got this race in the bag!

"You're not the only one with an advantage in this!"

I looked back to see Taikou leaping over Iida before I saw him kick the air and rockets towards me. Damn it, forgot about him! But still...

"I thought you have trouble with it before!?" I asked as he speeds up next to me.

"Practiced when you weren't looking!" He pointed out, "We all got to have trump cards of our own, you know!"

"Well, no way I'm letting that beat me!"

I then rushes forward as fast as I can muster, barely scrapping beyond my current top speed. A quick glance back to see that Taikou is close behind, he picking up speed with every kick. Nuh uh! This is my turf now! It doesn't matter how much you imitate Sanji's Sky Walk, there's no way I'm letting you get past me!

"Ready for our live-commentary, mummy-man?"

"Not voluntarily, no."

I nearly trip over myself when I heard Present Mic's _and_ Aizawa's voice over the speakers. The hell!? Wasn't he supposed to be hospitalized until next week? What's he doing here?

"Got to say, I'm surprised that Recovery Girl let you come here."

"As long as I'm staying up here till the end of the festival. I still think she's overreacting a little."

Ah, that explains a lot.

"I'm going on ahead!" I heard Taikou laugh as I turn to see him shooting pass and overtaking my lead. He did not just what I think he just did!

"No way you're getting ahead of me!" I stated in mock anger as I pick up as much as speed as possible down the road. No way I'm letting him take the lead! My pride as the fastest among us is on the line now!

I was able to catch up with Taikou, before he suddenly turns his body and kicks forward before somersaulting back.

"Every obstacle course needs OBSTACLES!" Present Mic points out suddenly, "Starting with the first barrier, Robo Inferno!"

A glimpse of green metal can be seen as he lands on the ground as I skidded to a halt, the corpse of a familiar robot lying before us while a metallic hell awaits beyond. In front of us is a large field filled with the robot villains from the entrance exam, including the goliath Zero Pointers that Midoriya smashes only there's at least ten of them instead of one, painting quite a scary image.

"Oh, fuck me, seriously!?"' Taikou stated in shock, "One of those bastards is bad enough but this is just cruel!"

"But they are slow." I pointed out as I run forward, "So we can just avoid them!"

I dash right into the field of robots; the first Zero Pointer slams its hand towards me, only for me to just move a bit to the right to slip right through the gaps between its robotic fingers. I then jump on its arm and run across it up till its shoulder. I slam my hand on the wires on its neck for a quick recharge before sliding down its back and taking a running leap off it.

And dive rolling on near the end of the field.

Thank you, inertia! Shoulders and back hurt like a bitch, though!

"1-A's Tatsuya takes the lead by clearing that obstacle in record time! Damn, her quirk is basically cheating at this point! That's so unfair!"

I let out a laugh at the commentary as I dodge a few robots before rocketing down the track towards the next obstacle. Unfair or not, there's no stopping this girl!

* * *

Taikou is left stunned by how easy his childhood friend made it look as she sprints down the path beyond the obstacle. He knows that she is fast, but to be this agile too!? Then again, there are times where she basically parkour across the school when she was chasing that cat back in middle school…

'She got into trouble so many times…'

"And away she goes…" He mumbles to himself as he hears the other students coming closer by the minute, before taking a deep breath and let loose a grin on his face, "Well, no way I'm getting left behind in the dust!"

He then ignites his feet, he wearing the special shoes from his Hero Costume that would not burn off, and leaps high into the air. A few more kicks for altitude and he successfully climb over the Zero Pointer in front of him. He then adjusts himself midair by unleashing small bursts of flame from his ankles so that he would be angled slightly downwards and kicks hard.

That sends him flying down towards the ground, heading straight for the exit.

"And following behind is 1-B's Naru, taking the high road as well! Didn't know flaming feet meant flight!"

Then crackling of ice can be heard in the distance as the Zero Pointer he just climbed over is frozen from the ground, which proceeds to topple over and crashing into the ground hard. "And just in time too, as 1-A's Todoroki took care of it while dealing with his opponents! Talk about harsh! Ice cold, even!"

"Is the second part really necessary…?"

Taikou took a quick glance to check the commotion, before kicking again to speed up.

'Time to catch up! Sorry, Genko, but I'm planning on winning this one!'

* * *

I speed down the track, the slight curve not much of a challenge for me despite me needing to slow down so not to go off-course.

Based on what commentary Present Mic has been shouting over the past few minutes, Taikou must be hot on my tails and probably catching up soon, with Todoroki not too far behind along with majority of my classmates, including Midoriya who is surprisingly not far behind of Bakugou. Got to say, not expecting Taikou to go Sanji on me, with flaming feet and everything. All he needs now is to dye his hair blonde, don a black suit and somehow create a swirl around on his eyebrows.

A chuckle escapes my mouth when the image of Taikou as Sanji pops into my head. I highly doubt he would wear a business suit though.

When I came and climbs a line of stairs leading upwards, it prompts me to remember what the second obstacle is supposed to be. If I remember correctly… it's a tightrope thing, right? With a very long fall–Oh, shit!

I quickly skid to a stop when I saw the sudden intense drop in front of me.

"The first barrier _may_ have been too easy, but what about the second?" Present Mic stated, "Fall and you're out! You got to crawl across if you want to make it! This is The Fall!"

He was right about one thing, if the too self-explanatory game isn't enough. In front of me basically an enormous pit with large stone pillars of various sizes place in random that are connected by countless of different tightropes that just be looking at it, form a secondary obstacle of being a semi-maze of routes to traverse on.

Geez, what happens if you did fall into the pit? I highly doubt there are any real casualties in this school, but falling from this height would result in a broken bone or two. Or three. Four, if you are unluckily enough.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I quickly survey the obstacle in front of me while I took out a battery from my pocket for another recharge. Let's see… from this tightrope in front of me, the shortest route will be…

"My turn to shine!"

I am again brought out of my thoughts when Taikou past me in a burning blaze as I saw him literally flying over the entire thing with much ease. Oh right, what's the point of crossing tightropes when you can FLY!

"Oh my, the lead has finally changed! Looks like Tatsuya's quirk isn't the only one that is unfair in this situation!"

"See you at the finish line!" He calls back as he landed on the end and runs ahead. Huh, he didn't use his flames that time… he must have overheated his quirk right now… but that doesn't really matter if the gap between us this far!

"As if!" I let out a small growl as I quickly step on the tight rope and run down the thing as fast as I am able without tripping. While not as sturdy as the metal fencing on my old middle school's roof, it's still not enough to deter me! Just you wait! I'll get the lead back for sure!

When I'm about to cross my third tightrope, crackle of ice can be heard from behind as the tightrope next to me is crossed by Todoroki, who is basically skating on it by freezing it as he goes. Damn it, him too!?

I quickly speed up and cross the tightrope as fast as possible, navigating across the various tightropes with not much difficulty due to picking the shortest and fastest route available to me, all the while keeping Todoroki from overtaking me.

The moment I crossed the second-last tight rope, I saw Bakugou catching up from behind by doing the same thing as Taikou by propelling himself through the air with his explosions. Nope, not letting _him_ past me!

Noting the distance between the pillar I'm on and the end, I quickly took a running start and leap across the gap and nails a three-point landing, just as Todoroki skates up right next to me with the explosion teen close behind. Taking no chances with the son of Endeavor, I quickly rockets forward after Taikou, just as I heard the crackling of ice coming towards me and nearly touching my heels.

That was close! If I've been a second too late, I would've had been trapped in ice.

"That was a close one! Todoroki attempts to freeze Tatsuya in place has failed, and now she is speeding towards the third and final barrier!"

As I ran, I grab another battery from my pocket and took another recharge. Maybe I should have brought the higher voltage ones… I'm running through my loadout very quickly.

"The leads keep breaking ahead, while the rest of the pack are all bunched up together! Our racers don't know how many will get to move on, so all they can do is aim for first place!"

It should be a sizeable amount, if I remember correctly. But as long you are within the first ten, it should be a guarantee in. Come to think of it, wasn't there some kind of special condition for the one that came in first? What was it again? It's on the tip of my tongue too…

"And now! Our leader at the moment has reached the final barrier! That is to say…"

*BOOM*

"DAMN IT!" I skid to a stop as Taikou comes tumbling towards me, rolling to a stop next to me.

"The Minefield! It's a deadly afghan carpet! A quick glance is enough to reveal the mines' locations, so keep both eyes open and watch your step!" Present Mic then adds on, "I should mention that our mines won't pack a deadly punch, but… they are LOUD and FLASHY! Enough that you might need a change of underwear when it's over!"

"Depending on the individual, of course."

"Well, considering what just happened…" I mutter to myself while looking at the bright pink cloud of smoke rising from where the first mine has detonated.

The entire minefield stretches across a good few yards, where the entrance back into the stadium can be seen up ahead. The bulges of the mines themselves are visible enough to see with a simple glance, but the distance between said mines are only big enough for at least a single foot. Talk about the world's loudest and flashiest game of hopscotch.

"Ow, ow…" Taikou got back on his feet and ignites his feet for a moment, before extinguishing them a second later, "Damn it, any more and I'll get burns…"

"Well, tough luck for you." I stated with a smile, "But not for me~!"

I immediately dashes in, still at full charge as I hops between the spaces of the mines as fast as I can.

"And Tatsuya takes the lead once again!"

This is easy! With Taikou out of commission, the rest of the race will be a breeze!

"Not this time."

The moment I lands safely on another safe space, crackling of ice can be heard and my feet is instantly encased in an ice cocoon that reach up passed my ankles. Thankfully, only one of my feet is trapped but unfortunately, I'm in a bad position since my body is angled slightly backwards from landing, that causes me to lean back rather awkwardly and almost made me fall if I didn't stabilize my footing with my free foot.

"Oh, but that quickly change as Todoroki finally ices her and took the lead! Talk about bad timing!"

"Oh, come the fuck on!" I shouted as I pulls on my feet to try and free it all the while the red-and-white haired teen jogs past me.

"Hah! This crap can't slow _me_ down!" Then Bakugou blasts past from behind right up to Todoroki, "Hey, you! You made the wrong declaration of war to the wrong person, half-n-half!"

"And 1-A's Bakugou comes rocketing in from behind! Look alive, mass media! Looks like we're going to have a struggle in our hands!"

I let out a groan at the fact that I let Bakugou, _Bakugou_ of all people, overtake me. This is just great! Like I didn't have enough problems already!

"No way I'm letting that bastard get first place!" Taikou suddenly shouted as he run passed me on the frozen soil around me, before igniting his feet and kicking into the air once again, "Thanks for the ice! My feet has finally cool down enough to let me do this again!"

He then kicks forward and gets into the struggle as well.

"Now another joins the fray! Why, even the rest of the bunch are now catching up!" True to his words, the rest of the group is slowly coming up on the minefields, some already making a great attempt to cross it. "With those three grabbling for first, can they hold on to their lead!?"

"Not if I have anything to say about that…" I mumbles out as I pull on my feet again, but to no effect. What do I do!? I don't have any fire abilities so I can't melt it, and my power only affect my speed so I can't just break out of it! Not good, if this keeps up, they'll get past me! What do I–!?

I then remember my powers and a certain fictional superhero and I facepalmed, "I'm such an idiot… if it works with the Flash…"

I grab another battery from my pocket and starts to absorb the charge. As I did that, the focus on my legs and tries to shaking it. Soon enough, my frozen feet became a blur from the vibration and the ice around it slowly but surely broke away, freeing me from the frozen cocoon.

"So, that's how it feels…" I mutter before getting my bearings straight and dashes right after them, all the while avoiding the mines which slowed me down a bit but not enough.

"And now Tatsuya is now catching up too! Looks like it's going to be a four-way struggle for the lead!"

I pick up the pace as I tries to circumvent the whole three-way brawl/struggle in front of me, me fighting any of them with their quirks is just going to waste time so I'll rather let them fight it out while I get first place. Sorry, Taikou, but I'll be going on ahead~

"Oh! It's so close! Who is going to past through that final gate first!?"

But just as I'm about to reach close to overtake the three of them…

*BOOM*

A massive shockwave suddenly erupted from behind us. I looked back to see a giant cloud of pink smoke that indicates the detonation of several landmines at once.

"A giant explosion near the entrance!? Why was the bang so big!? Was it his plan or sheer coincidence!?"

And then out of that pink smoke flew out a green metal plate that looks like it is tore out of the robots from the first obstacle. When I saw who was on said metal plate, I quickly realized what just happened.

"Midoriya!?"

"And 1-A's Midoriya mounts his charge! And wow did he do that with a bang!" The successor of All Might flew past all of us, scraping past Bakugou's head in the process and taking the lead in one explosive move. What a guy! "And he overtook them all! He. Overtook. THEM!"

"DEKU!" Bakugou shouted angrily as he blasts right towards him, "Don't you DARE go ahead of me!"

"This isn't the time to worry about those behind me…!" Todoroki mutters out as he freezes the ground in front of him, forming a pathway.

"Good going, Midoriya!" Taikou calls out as he kicks and propels himself forward, "But I'm not letting you overtake me without a fight!"

I let my surprise die down before quickly chases after him. Main character or not, I'm not letting anyone take the lead that easily! "It's not over yet, Midoriya!"

"The four who were formerly in the lead stopped tripping each other up and begun to bolt after Midoriya! They say it takes a common enemy to put a hold on strife! Though strife will never disappear, right!"

"What in blazes are you even talking about…?"

We all start to go past Midoriya's supposed landing point as he starts to stall in the air, me just barely out pacing the three of them. But then, while he was in midair, the green haired teen pulls on the wire cord from the metal plate and slams right into the ground next to us.

A bunch of clicks later, and an enormous explosion blinds and pushes all of us out of the way while it carries Midoriya, now glowing in Full Cowl, forward and through the final gate.

"In no time at all, Midoriya blew dust in their eyes! And now that he has clear the landmine area entirely! Damn, Eraserhead. Your class is insane! What are you teaching them!?"

"I didn't do anything. This is all the fruit of the fires they all lit in each other."

I quickly regain my bearings and dashes right through the smoke, using the last bit of my charge to accelerate myself as much as I could to catch up. No time to recharge! Got to bank on the last slitter of energy I got! I can hear explosions from behind me as well as the crackling of ice coming closer. I ignore all of that and dashes straight on, entering the corridor with the light of Midoriya's Full Cowl shining in front of me.

But despite me struggling to get back the lead, it is obvious who placed first in the end.

"And what a surprising turn of events! Who could have predicted this outcome!? The man who has returned to the stadium in triumph, with the most flashiest of all entrances in the history of the Sports Festival, is none other than MIDORIYA IZUKU!"

I barely made it second as Taikou blasts right next to me the moment I pass the gate which is then followed by Bakugou, who has a small bruise on his nose that may or may not have been from my dear childhood friend, and Todoroki skating in at about the same time and is currently steaming, most likely due to him heating up and thawing away the ice.

"Damn it… not again… fucking shit…!"

I can hear the explosive teen mumbling out curses one after another as the other students all made it to the finishing line. I think I saw Tsuyu among the few that made it a few minutes after us, along with several of our classmates with a good portion of them making in quite early.

"And the racers all come in one after the other! We'll compile the results later, so for the time being enjoy your breather!"

"When he says it like that, it just screams ominous foreshadowing." I point out to my childhood friend, who is sitting on the floor with his legs spread out to catch his breath. And to relax his legs which looks rather reddish.

"Well… Present Mi… Mic does… have the thing… for… the dr…dramatic…" He pants out, "Also… thanks for… showing… off… your in…insane sta…stamina… jerk…"

"When you have a quirk like mine…" I start to point out, before noticing Shinsou running in while panting rather heavily, "Hey! Shinsou!"

He notices me and tiredly jogs up to us, "Hey… guys…" He panted out, "Damn… you guys are… fast…"

"But without… the damn… stamina…"

"To be fair, you were fighting with Bakugou and Todoroki back there. That drains stamina very quickly." I then point the still cursing blonde delinquent, "Also, did you kick him in the face?"

His thumbs-up is all I need to know. Guess he took advantage of the situation.

"That being said, how did you do?"

"Pretty hopeful… all things considered…" Shinsou let out a loud sigh, "Maybe in the top twenty…?"

"Let's not… get to hopeful now…" Taikou panted out

"We just have to wait and see, I guess."

* * *

"So!" Midnight calls out after a few minutes are spent with us taking a good breather from the intense race and are now gathered around the stage again, "The race is all over! Now everyone, please take a look at the results!"

A hologram screen blitz into life behind her, showing us the entire results for the race in its entirety. Besides the obvious, I quickly note that I'm second, due to being so close behind of Midoriya near the end there, while Taikou got third. After that is Todoroki followed by Bakugou, who is pretty pissed at the whole thing much to my childhood friend's glee. I think he is getting off to this a bit too much…

Then again… so am I… to an extent…

"Hey, look where Shinsou is placed!"

Following my friend's advice, I scroll down the list, while getting surprised at Iida getting eighth despite his quirk, and took note of Shinsou's position. To my glee, he managed to place himself behind Mina at twentieth place. Guess his assumption is correct. And this means that he has a good chance of getting into the next stage! Alright, Shinsou!

"Alright, as much as it pains to say this." Midnight tells us but a slight blush on her cheeks says otherwise to my dismay, "But only the top 42 will be advancing into the next round. I'm sorry for those who failed, but take heart! This festival showstopper is still being prepared! And now for the post-preliminaries, the final selection! From here on out, even the press corps will teem in a white heat of excitement, so go all out!"

"That just… sounds so wrong when she says it." Taikou pointed out.

"You have no idea…" I groaned. Damn it, Nemuri-nee! Can you not go into heat over every little thing!?

"Now then! On to today's heart-pounding second event!" The hologram starts to start the slot machine UI from the first, it even shows up spinning already, "I already know what it will be, but the suspense is killing me! Oh, what could it be? Well, I'll tell you! Behold!"

The slot machine stops and the panel showing [Cavalry Race].

"Cavalry Race?" I think for a moment as I tries to remember the finer deals of this part. If my memory is correct, it's more or less a team battle in which everyone steals the bandanna of the 'rider' of each team. The trick is that every one will be given a point based on their positions in the race.

With the exception of the first place which is… oh dear.

"However!" Midnight suddenly remarks, her explanation of the game went over my head when I was deep in thought, "There's an exception, with whomever in first place will receive a grand total of 10 million points!"

I can already feel the gazes of the other students all burning into Midoriya's head.

He's… not going to like this part of the festival at all.

…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

Omake

"Alright, Taikou!" Kemuri shouted to his television screen while the other tenants all cheered, "Getting fucking third place! That's my boy!"

"Never thought I'll see the day I'll be cheering for either one of those rascals on live TV!" One of the tenants shouted, "Another toast for our champion brats!"

"Kanpai!"

"Are you guys seriously drinking right now?" Another of the tenants, a young woman stated angrily, "It's not even noon yet."

…

On the other side of the globe, on a certain floating island, Tetsujin let out a loud whoop of joy at the monitor in front of him.

"Way to go, Gen-chan!" He cheered happily, "That's my little sister out there! Got fucking second place, yeah!"

"We get it, we get it. Just calm down, will you?" One of his assistants tells him, "It's only the first event. There's still a few more to go!"

"He's really proud of her, ain't he?" His mentor, one David Shields noted with a grin, "Quite a doting brother."

"I think there's a term for it." Another of his assistants stated, "I believe it's… siscon?"

"What's that mean?" His mentor's daughter, a young Melissa Shields asked.

"It's short for–"

He didn't get to finish that sentence, thanks no part to a spring boxing glove hitting him in the cheeks.

* * *

 **Done! Got to say, there isn't much to change with a few exceptions here and there. But it does feel like I'm kind of putting Genko on a bit of a pedestal here, doesn't it?**

 **For the Obstacle Course, I'm sure it looks like Genko is overpowered, but considering what her quirk is? It's kind of expected that she'll be. Not including Iida and maybe Midoriya if he went Full Cowl, she has the fastest quirks among the class.**

 **Of course, I don't know what quirks the other students have, but considering that Todoroki maintained his lead in canon until the minefield? If any of them has something like Genko's Elec Muscle, they would have overtaken both Bakugou and Todoroki if given the chance.**

 **On the other spectrum, I've finally come to a decision of where Genko is going to go for the Job Experience arc. Although when I say that, I really mean I've come up with three choices not including original characters.**

 **Gran Torino (Highly Doubtful, but if push comes to shove…)**

 **Ingenium (Butterfly effect, but you just have wait and see)**

 **Backdraft (Fire Fighter training. That's all I'm going to say)**

 **As such, I'm going to put it into a vote. Which among these three should Genko go for the Job Experience arc?**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Sports Festival, Part Two**

* * *

I could only give him my most sympathies as I tries to ignore the increasing tensions between the students. I am so glad that I didn't finish first… no way I'll be able to handle such pressure.

After announcing that supposed death sentence, Midnight continues on, "The match will last 15 minutes. Each team are determined by its members." The holoscreen behind her then shows the figure of four of our teachers with All Might as the 'rider' while Present Mic, Thirteen and Snipe forms the 'horse' under him, "The rider will wear a headband displaying the total number of points! Until the match ends, you'll all compete to grab each other's points while maintaining the ones you have. Any headbands you grab must be worn no lower than your neck."

"However! The more headbands you get, the harder they'll be to manage!" She warned, "And most importantly, even if your headband is taken, or if your horse formation is broken, it's not over until it's over!"

"Damn, that's going to leave room for some pretty innovative moves…" I heard someone in the crowd spoke within the countless murmurs popping up left and right, but didn't see who've said that.

"Quirks are allowed, so it'd be a brutal battle!" She points out, "However, it's still a CAVALRY BATTLE! Malicious attacking another team with the intent of making them fall will get you a red card! And that means you're out of the game!"

"Tch, so close…" I heard Taikou speaking in the crowd with a click of his tongue. He really wanted to use this chance to kick Bakugou, huh?

"You've got fifteen minutes! Time to form your teams!"

"What, fifteen minutes!?"

Except for a few who are mumbling about the short time limit, the rest of us all separate to look for people to team up with.

For me, I think I work best as part of the horse. Unlike some of my classmates, mine is best used if speed is necessary. So being the running person is best suited for me.

I glance over to Bakugou, who is getting a lot of offers to join up from our classmates, with a few exceptions that are pretty obvious. I also see Midoriya in the crowd, or lack of considering the fact that pretty much everyone is avoiding him like the plague. I don't blame them. As enticing having ten million points at the start may be, that just puts you at a severe disadvantage once that bandana is stolen. A double-edged sword, if you will.

My eyes immediately avoided his when he looks over at me. Sorry Midoriya, but you're not the only one who is planning on winning.

Additionally, amongst the crowd is Taikou who is around his classmates who seem to be discussing some kind of strategy with the blonde kid, Monoma Neito if I remember correctly, acting as the lead strategist of sorts. If I'm not mistaken, in the plot of the manga/anime, Class B used the whole Obstacle Race as a means to evaluate Class A's abilities and then use that information to attempt to beat us in this match. I guess Taikou would be part of that group too…

That's a huge bummer. I wanted to ask if we could team up, but guess that's not happening…

"Hey, Genko."

A voice calls out to me as Shinsou walks up to me, "Do you want to team up?"

I stare at him for a moment, he lets out a sigh while rolling his eyes, "No, I'm not using my quirk on you right now."

"…"

"Yes. I'm sure."

"…If I don't remember any of this match, I'm blaming you."

"…"

"…"

"…See?"

"Okay, fine." I let out a small laugh at his exasperated expression, "Just have to make sure. I still remember those blank moments when you made me do stuff that I _still_ have no idea what you did because you guys still won't tell me."

"It was… not my finest moments, no…" He mumbled with red cheeks, "Anyways, I want to ask if you'd want to team up with me?"

"Team up? What happen to all that talk yesterday?" I asked, "Didn't you say–"

"I know what I've said." He tells me, "But with how this match priorities teamwork over individual competition… I'm willing to swallow my pride and ask for help."

"True, but why ask me? I mean, there's Midoriya–"

"I'll get mobbed within the first minute if I join up with him." He points out, "That, and I think I'll perform better with some familiar faces."

"But won't that just show the pros that you can't work with people outside your circle of friends?" I pointed out, "It might affect your opportunity to get into the Hero Course."

"Then I'll just have to perform really well in the finals to make up, right?"

"…" I let out a small sigh as a smile creeps onto my face, "Alright. I'm in! I take it that you're the rider and I'm the horse?"

"That's the plan." He nodded, "Then we need two more… If he hasn't joined any other teams…" We both look around the crowd for anyone we could ask, just as Taikou runs up to us, "And speak of the devil…"

"You guys forming a team?" He asks, "Mind if I join?"

"That's… came out of left field." I stated, "Weren't you going to form up with your class? I mean, I saw you guys talking over there and…"

"Yeah, but honestly…? Monoma can go suck his own dick, for all I care." He pointed out, "He's a little too into the whole Class B vs Class A thing that Vlad-sensei came up with during our first week of the semester."

"I didn't know that was a thing." Shinsou stated.

"It is. Got 'reprimanded' by him for 'fractalizing' with the 'enemy' a few times now. Honestly, I'm hoping to use this match as an excuse to beat him in his own game."

"Which means you rather team up with anyone except your own class." I added with a sigh, "Are you sure that's a good idea…? Despite Monoma there, they are still your classmates."

"I've told them how I feel, and they accepted it." He points out, "At least… I think they did…?"

"Taikou…"

"What's done is done, Genko." Shinsou tells me, "Best if we just roll with what we got, which is we are still missing one more person to form our horse."

With that said, we took another look around to see if there's any one still not in a team. I think I saw Tsuyu with Shoji so she's out, and Pony is with her class so she's out too… I then notice amidst the crowd while standing alone with his long muscular tail slumped over his shoulder, looking a bit dejected. He could work. With his tail and Taikou's flames add to my speed…

"Hey, Ojiro-san!"

* * *

Soon enough, fifteen minutes are almost up and all of us has formed a team with each other, more or less. Didn't see who Aoyama teamed up with, though…

I let out a huff as I felt the weight of my friend's shoes on my hands, with the bright and warm morning, nearing noon, sun shining down on the stadium while I feel the tingling feeling of the electricity circulating through me. I've absorbed to my maximum voltage moments ago and has a full charge running. Give or take, it'll last probably through the whole round but I've still has a couple batteries on standby in my pockets just in case.

After recruiting Ojiro, although considering that almost no one seems to be keen on teaming up with him, sadly he didn't really have many options; we all discussed and agreed on the formation just before fifteen minutes are up.

The 'rider' would be Shinsou, with his quirk being a mental one than physical meaning he would serve better as the 'rider' than being part of the 'horse'. That, and the rest of us serve better as being his mount. As for the 'horse' part of our formation, we decided on it based on two key knowledge of our team.

One, Ojirou's tail would best function at the back so that's a no brainer.

And two, Taikou's quirk would be disastrous if he is anywhere besides the back so that's too is a certain.

That leaves the front open, which I ended up being that and to be honest, isn't that big of a deal but it does give us a big weakness in our formation. For one, I'm technically shorter than any of them, even Ojirou is a good few inches taller than me. But luckily, the difference isn't that distinct. Mostly, it's just the matter of our 'seat' being slightly sloped forward.

As such, our 'horse' is as follows: I'm the front, with Taikou on the left while Ojirou handles the right. Our formation is one that focus most on mobility, with two of us being speedsters of some kind, with our other blonde classmate being the outlier to act as an all-rounder support to us.

Which is why I'm surprised no one even considered teaming up with him. Despite him being not that flashy or overpowering compared to our two most powerful classmates, he is definitely someone that would be a great addition to the team, especially in such a situation like this where his extra appendage could come in handy.

"Am I too heavy for you?" Shinsou suddenly asked. He has his bandanna around his head, with our total points of 665 displayed in bold red numbers.

"I can handle it." I tell him with a grin, "Besides, you're not _that_ heavy."

"Hey, for the record, I've gained some muscle too, you know!"

"Really? Because you still looked as thin as you were in middle school." Taikou noted.

"Um… Just for clarification." Ojirou chimes in, "We're not going after Midoriya, right?"

"It's our best option." Shinsou noted, "With how the game is laid out, the fastest way to get into first is to take the ten million as quickly as possible. That's what everyone would probably be doing once the round start. Instead, we'll hang back and steal from those who didn't head for him right away."

"Ah, and just to add, Monoma will be stealing from Class 1A first." Taikou added.

"Well, I doubt he'll come to us right away." I pointed out, "Shinsou is from the General Course and Taikou is his classmate, and if his stance on the whole Class 1A vs Class 1B is as you said, we're the last group of people he would steal from."

"Any plans on how to tackle this?" Ojirou asked.

"We'll run in, take the headband, and get out." Shinsou explains, "No need to get into a scuffle with anyone. We'll focus on getting as much points as we can."

"So then, guerrilla tactics?"

"Guerrilla tactics." We affirmed to Ojirou, who simply shrugs and nodded.

"Formed your teams? Made your plans? Too bad if you haven't!" Midnight signs off, "Here we go! The countdown to this brutal countdown!"

I steady myself as my aunt starts to countdown the last few seconds. Okay, Genko! Time to get your game face on!

"Three!"

I hear Shinsou cracking his knuckles above me.

"Two!"

I can feel the heat radiating from Taikou's legs.

"One!"

I suck in a deep breath as I push back one of my feet.

"START!"

Almost immediately, two teams already make a dash for Midoriya's group as predicted: Tetsutetsu's group and Toru's group.

Everyone else also made their move, us as well as we start running away from the scramble that is about to come. "Okay, who's our first target?" Taikou asked.

"It'll be best if we stay away from Bakugou and Todoroki." I pointed out, "At least, at the moment–"

"Hey, hey!"

We all quickly turn and moved, barely dodging a running behemoth that nearly run us through in his rampage. A large burly teen that seems to have fur all over his body with his face being the exception, being rode by a Chinese-looking teen donning a braid who seems to be growing scales out of his forearm, "No offense, Taikou! But we'll be taking your points!" He then fires said scales right at us.

I quickly warns our rider, "Shinsou, duck!"

"No shit, sherlock!"

I felt movement above me, probably Shinsou dodging said scales that also nearly hit me as a few came close to hitting my leg if I didn't move them out of the way. "What do we do?" Ojiro asked.

"Rush forward!" Taikou replies, "Shishida has speed down, but if his basically a running tank! Great in acceleration, but sucks at tight turns!"

"Got it!" I immediately runs forward. I felt the heat from Taikou's legs and the sound of Ojiro's tail hitting the floor as the weight tilts upward and forward, the lack of weight allowing me the go as fast as I could and it's exactly what I did. The surroundings speed past me as I moved past the large behemoth before skidding and turning our entire formation a full 180 as we all stopped.

"Looking for something?" Shinsou said. Even without looking, I knew he has snatched the Chinese student's headband and is gloating at the fact.

"Wh-Wha…!? H-How did you–!?" The student then froze on the spot with blank empty eyes, clear signs of Shinsou's brainwashing in effect.

"Love to stay for a tussle, but we've got to run." He stated, "Now, fire your scales downwards."

The three of us then runs away as I heard the burly teen cry out in shock in the background. "Do you really need to gloat?" Taikou asked.

"It works, didn't it?" He asked, "Besides, with how hot-blooded these people are in this match, it's the best way for me to use my quirk."

"You got a point there…"

"Barely two minutes have passed, and the battlefield is already in chaos!" Present Mic announces, "With everyone scrambling for headbands, it's not just the ten million out there! Those other high rankers are worth a shot, as well!"

"Ah, damn. I've forgotten about that." I noted worriedly. Forget Monoma's desire to outdo Class 1-A, our team has both the second and third placed students from the race! And with our combined points ranging in the six-hundreds, it makes our headband as much as a price as Midoriya's!

A sudden swoosh can be heard and I head a grunt from Shinsou, "What was that!?" I asked before I stepped on something that to sink my feet into, "What in the…!?" I look down and to my surprise, found my leg covering in some kind of mucus-like substance, "What is this!?" I tries to move my leg to find it stuck in place, "I can't get out!"

"That's…!" I heard Taikou cried in surprise meaning that it much from someone in his class. But the whole mucus thing seems familiar…

"Got them, Monoma!" Someone shouted as I manage to turn my attention to one of the team close by, the mount made of a large teen at the front with the weirdest looking head I have ever seen while the back on the right is our blonde American transfer student Pony Tsunotori while the left is the teen with what seems to be a manga-speech bubble for a head, being rode by a rather cute wallflower-esque teenage girl.

With how the mucus is leaking out of his mouth like that, the substance must come from him.

"Thanks, Bondo!" I heard someone shouted as a team runs up to us that is being rode by Monoma. There're a few grunts above us as what I can assume is Shinsou fighting back the blond teen's advances to get our two headbands, "Not bad, for a mob-level grunt."

"Grr…!"

"Shinsou! Don't answer him!" Taikou shouted, "Monoma's quirk can copy the quirks of anyone he touches!"

Which means, if the struggle above us is true, he must have grabbed his brainwashing quirk during the tussle. Well, that is just great…

"Hey, hey. It's not nice to just rat out our quirks to strangers like that, Naru-san." Monoma scoffed, "But seeing as you are betraying us and working with the enemy… it's to be expected."

"…"

"He's mentally flipping you off, just to clarify." I tells him. As I said that, I decided to vibrate my trapped leg like how I did with Todoroki's ice, and manages to get my feet free, "Got free! Let's move!"

"Not yet!" Shinsou stated as I heard another grunt from him followed by a smack before tapping me on the head, "Okay! Move, move, move!"

"Moving!" I quickly run, with the sound of Ojiro tail hitting the ground and the heat coming from Taikou signaling my move as we speed away from the two teams, with sounds of something splatting on the ground as well as Present Mic's commentary in the background.

I skids to a stop, and unluckily near where Bakugou's team is. Damn it, shouldn't have just ran without looking where I am going.

"YOU!"

"Ah… great…" I let out a groan at the blonde delinquent's screams as well as Shinsou's own grunt with the few signs of explosions above us. I turns to the red head in their group, "Hey, Kirishima."

"Sup." He smirks while the heat from behind me spreads to my left for a moment, "Tough match?"

"Not really." I replied as the sound of Ojiro's tail hitting something echoes on my right, "Got ambushed by one team that we manage to get their headband before running away, before getting ambushed again and barely manages to get away." Seriously, what is with people ambushing us!? Shouldn't Midoriya be the number one target!?

"Oh, cool." He nodded.

"Got to say, I'm surprise such a violent douchebag is our year's representative." Shinsou mocked him, "So, how's your plan of getting first working for you!"

"WHAT YOU SAY, YOU–"

I didn't even need to look to know that his brainwashing worked. Bakugou is definitely someone that Shinsou's quirk works best against with how egotistic and hotheaded he is, especially against the art of provocation that Shinsou has perfected for people like him.

"Bakugou!?"

"I'll be taking that!" Some slight movements above me later and then he tapped on my head once more, "Let's move! Oh, and please punch yourself in the eye for me."

We all took to a run minus my quirk, a smack and a cry of pain in the background is more than enough to guess what happened. That is then followed by a scream of anger that is filled with all sorts of vulgarities that I'm pretty sure the ones handling the cameras are going to try and censor out.

"HAHAHA! Thank you, Shinsou!" Taikou laughed as we ran, "Remind me to treat you to lunch soon, because that was epic!"

"As much as I didn't want to admit it…" Ojiro noted with a small chuckle, "It is pretty nice to see Bakugou get wrecked like that."

"I'm definitely going to buy the recordings now!" I laughed, "I need to clip that part and put it on Youtube!"

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all day." Shinsou noted with a chuckle, "But it's not over yet."

"DAMN RIGHT, IT ISN'T!"

An explosion later, and we all saw Bakugou rocketing towards us with hands reaching out towards Shinsou. A blaze of fire from Taikou manages to hold him away as the blonde delinquent moved to avoid getting burnt, but that didn't deter him as he simply goes around the flames before aiming straight at Shinsou.

"Genko! Ojiro!"

"On it!"

I quickly speeds to our side with the help of Ojirou's tail that pushes his weight up, turning our formation around with Taikou acting as the axis, just enough that Shinsou is able to dodge out of Bakugou's hands. A tape come flying by and sticks onto the blonde delinquent's back and Sero pulls him back towards his formation.

"Oh right, as long as our feet to touch the ground, anything is fair game…" Shinsou noted.

"Come on, that is just cheating…" I let out a groan at that. I knew Bakugou is going to do a move like that, just like in the manga, but seeing it first hand? That is cool and terrifying all rolled into one.

"Maybe pissing him off isn't such a good idea…?" Ojiro points out.

"Eh, worth it."

"Same."

"Oh yeah, definitely."

I can hear Ojiro's frustrations at our answer. "Hey, Bakugou is pretty much a prissy prick 24/7." I added on. Besides, if not us, then Monoma would be the one that will get under his skin. And to be honest, I kind of wanted that to be the case and not us. But getting to see Bakugou getting triggered like that? Worth the risk.

"GRRAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Bakugou shouted angrily, "We're getting our points back, and then… I'm going to destroy all of you and get first place!"

"Says the one who got choked on sewage before entering UA!" Shinsou points out, "What, couldn't blow yourself out of a pinch, sludge victim one?"

"SHUT YOUR TRAP–"

"And punch yourself."

I bit down a laugh as I get to watch Bakugou punch himself in the face again. Wow, for someone who I know is considered one of the few smart people in our class, he can be really, really dumb. Like, did he seriously just fall for the same trick twice!?

"Okay, time to run!" Shinsou tells us and I agreed, the heat and sounds of impact is key enough for me to start running, speeding away from the screaming blonde.

And right into another blonde who has several more headbands around his neck, "There you are–"

"Switch off!"

"Huh?"

I speeds past him, I can hear the confusion in his voice as more explosions echoes behind us. Thank you for being the decoy, Monoma!

"Damn you! Come back here!"

"Looks like the match is half over!" Present Mic announces, "Class B seems to have gain a huge advantage but Class A is still high on the score boards! And in the amidst of that, the battle for the Ten Million crown commence! Whose head would be wearing that crown!?"

I let out a loud sigh as we skid to a stop, feeling the remaining electric charge in my body slowly fades away. "We're halfway done… how much points have we racked up?" I asked.

"If the scoreboard is correct…" Shinsou noted, "Around a thousand six hundred, give or take. We're at second place at the moment."

"Okay, then let's keep it that way!" Taikou noted, "Let's try to avoid conflict and focus on keeping our headbands!"

"Ojiro-san, hold Shinsou's leg for a moment. I need to recharge."

His tail moved to replace my hand as I dug into my pocket to get out a battery. But just as I took it out, sometime slams into my wrist and causes me to drop the battery, "What in the…!?"

"Sorry, Genko-chan! I can't let you do that!"

A voice shouted as a large blob of mucus is sprayed right towards us, we quickly moved out of the way of it as it splats harmlessly on the ground. Wait, that looks like…

A swoosh later and I immediately, on reflexes alone, moved my head aside as a long horn-like projectile flew dangerously close to my face, "H-Hey! Watch it, Tsunotori-san! You could've popped my eye out!"

"Oh, so terribly sorry!" She calls out.

"Be careful, Pony." The girl riding her commented, "We want to trip them, not injury them."

"R-Right!"

This is bad… not only am I out of juice, with Pony's horn projectile quirk, they have a huge range advantage over us! All she needs to do is grab one of our headbands from far range and we couldn't do much about it!

"Slippery!" The teen with the speech bubble face suddenly shouted, and then a large stack hiragana words is spit out of his head that then slides under our feet. Then all of a sudden, my feet have no traction as my soles just slides all around like we're standing on ice itself.

"Wh-What's happening!?" Ojiro cried in shock.

"Crap! Fukidashi's quirk!" Taikou points out worriedly as we try to gain some form of balance.

"We'll be taking those!" Pony suddenly shouted as she fires a couple of her horns right towards us, most likely aimed at Shinsou. Oh crap! We can't even dodge it like this!

"Everyone, hold on!" He suddenly shouted, as heat intensifies from behind before we are launched forward at speeds close to what my top speed can be, the horn projectiles missing us by a far margin. Oh, I get it! Without traction, Taikou can use his quirk to act as a rocket booster to push us forward.

"Ah, damn it!"

"Thanks for the save, but could you say something first!?" Shinsou cried as we skid around onto the ground that didn't feel like smooth ice.

"Yeah, a little warning would've been nice!" Ojiro said angrily, "I nearly tripped over my own tail!"

"Hey, there was no time for me to do that!" My childhood friend tells them.

"You guys can argue later!" I berates them as I looked at the scoreboard, "There's still about three minutes left! We got to survive until then!"

And then, a tape shoots past us, sticking on the floor next to us and is followed by what looks like a smooth acid-looking liquid being sprayed under it like some sort of path-oh wait a damn minute…! Shit, shit, shit! If this is what I think it is…!

"Genko! Ojiro! Jump!"

We followed Taikou's advice and leaped into the air as high as we can, a sudden heat from behind us is more than enough to guess what is his plan as we once again are launched forward, just as Bakugou's team blast right towards us, the blonde berserker's hands barely reaching us when we managed to stick the landing.

"MMPH!"

"Move, move, move!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

We all start running the heck away from Bakugou's team. No way we're be able to deal with an enraged Bakugou like this! But wait…?

"Hey, Shinsou!? Can't you just trick him like you did the first two times!?" I asked.

"No luck!" He shouted, "He has tapped him own mouth shut!"

"Damn it, guess it's third time's the charm with him, huh?" Taikou noted.

"Less talking, more running!"

The last couple minutes were… pretty hilarious and kind of embarrassing.

For one, Bakugou being tenacious is a huge understatement. He just doesn't know the meaning of quitting, as he just keeps on coming after us over and over again! It is either he just come right at us flying out of nowhere with his taped mouth screaming muffled profanities that I'm sure the camera crew is grateful for, or he would do the whole tape and acid plus explosion trick again.

And time and time again, thanks to Taikou's little flame idea that replaced my speed boost along with Shinsou's idea of using other teams to get in his way (Sorry, Tetsutetsu. Your sacrifice will be remembered…), we barely manage to get away.

But eventually…

"Time's almost up! Let's all count down together, everybody!"

"TEN!"

"Ten seconds left!" I shouted, "We just need to last ten- no wait, nine! Nine more seconds!"

"NINE!"

"MMPH!"

Bakugou once again came flying right at us from his team.

"EIGHT!"

We leap forward, but then Taikou let out a groan, "Overheat!"

"Seriously!?" Shinsou shouted.

"SEVEN!"

"Ojiro-san!" I cried as the blonde delinquent comes ever closer.

"SIX!"

"On it!" He swings his tail towards Bakugou's path.

"FIVE!"

But that didn't deter him as he simply fires an explosion right at the muscular tail, knocking it aside with a painful grunt from its owner.

"FOUR!"

The blonde delinquent reaches out to grab the headbands around Shinsou's neck, a grin is visible under his taped mouth with his victory almost certain.

"THREE!"

However, Taikou decided to throw a wrench into that as he pushes his body upwards, if the grip of his hand on my shoulder tightening means anything, and kicks backward towards Bakugou.

"TWO!"

The blonde delinquent uses his explosion to go higher, the kick missing him completely.

"ONE!"

"MMPH!"

He then launches at Shinsou once again, hands out stretched towards our rider.

But then the horn sounds off and with a loud boisterous voice, Present Mic proclaims to the stadium…

"TIME'S UP!"

Bakugou, almost stiff from shock, flew right pass Shinsou and faceplants spectacularly in front of me. I held back my chuckles as my middle-school friend got back on the ground, visibly exhausted with both our headband and the three other bands we managed to secure around his head and neck respectively but have somewhat of a smirk on his face.

Taikou, on the other hand, waste no time in laughing at the 'poor' blonde, "HAHAHA! Oh man, please let that be in the CDs later!"

"MMPH!?"

"What? Can't hear you over the noise of you losing!"

"Okay, okay, settle down, you two-pft!"

"MMPH!"

I push my hand into my mouth as I tries to contain my hackles from spilling out on national television, I already feeling the glare the blonde delinquent is giving us. Oh man, I can't get that image of him face-planting out of my head!

"The match is now over!" Present Mic calls out, "Let's see the results now, shall we!?"

"In First Place, Team Todoroki!"

"In Second Place, Team Shinsou!"

"YEAHH!/ALRIGHT!" We all cheered as I grabs Shinsou and Taikou into a three-way hug. We did it! We've passed the prelims!

"In Third Place, barely losing out by a small margin, Team Bakugou!"

"M-FUUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!"

"Yikes! Talk about rage… it is going to censored, right?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Chill out, man." Kirishima tells our blonde berserker, "At least we've passed the preliminaries, right?"

"A-Anyways… now to our final team! In Fourth Place, and also by a tiny margin, Team Midoriya!"

I let out a chuckle as I saw a geyser of tears burst out from within the ring of ice that Todoroki has erected during the match. Looking at the score board, he barely made it too, with Tetsutetsu just a single point behind. Talk about getting in by the skin of his teeth…

"These four teams will proceed to the final event!" Present Mic then adds on, "We'll now proceed to the afternoon session after lunch break! See you then!"

* * *

"So, cafeteria?" I asked my two friends as we went out of the stadium. Once we disband our little team, Ojiro decided to join back our class and is currently talking up with Hagakure.

"Sure." Taikou nodded, "Want to get some food from the stands as well?"

"Yeah! I want some Takoyaki and Yakisoba!"

"If you want to vomit during the whole tournament, then go on ahead." Shinsou points out with a sigh, "Seriously, didn't Budo told you guys this already? Never eat too much before your match or risk vomiting everything out."

"Ah… right…" I sheepishly chuckled, "So… just normal meals?"

"Not too filling or greasy. Which means no Takoyaki or Yakisoba!"

"Aw…"

Damn it, I really wanted some… Guess it's just regular food for me.

"AH! Tatsuya-san! Please, come here!"

I hear a loud rather excited voice calling out to me, I turning to see the eccentric and robotic waving of my class president.

"Huh? Iida?" I wonders as I walks up to him confused, "What is it?"

"Ah, yes! First off, I like to congratulate you on passing through the prelims!" He points out, "I may have lost in the obstacle race, but I'm planning on catching up soon enough!"

"R-Right… Thank you…?" I raised my eyebrow in confusion at his sudden sincerity towards me. This is rather out of the blue? I mean, besides a few instances that mostly have to do with school work than anything else, we're hardly ever interacted with each other before.

"Come on, now, Tenya. You can't just suddenly say that to a girl like that. She'll just get confused." A more mature voice spoke from behind him. I took a look and my mind grinds to a halt at who that person is.

"Ah yes, that is true! I'm sorry, Tatsuya-san! Please forgive me!"

"U-Uh… s-sure…" I was barely able to reply him as I couldn't believe my own eyes. How…!? Shouldn't he be in Hosu right now!? Why is _he_ here!?

"So, you're Hermes-san's daughter, huh?" The man stated with a bright smile, "Ah, where are my manners?"

"The name's Iida Tensei, but you know me best as Ingenium! It's nice to finally meet you!"

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

"Mm…"

"…Again, it's not an option, Maki." Kan Sekijirou, also known as the Blood Hero: Vlad King, sighs at his co-worker's actions, "You have a job to do, remember?"

"I know, I know…" The retired Hero groaned, "It's still annoying, you know. My daughter is probably pushing all she can in the match right now and I'm stuck here commentating!"

"Hey, you drew the lot. You can't say it's unfair."

"Come on! Just a quick look! A simple flick of switch! It won't take a second!"

"NO!"

The third years could only stare at the announcer booth, contemplating on whether they should tell them that the match is over five minutes ago. Principal Nezu could only let out a short sigh at the shenanigans.

* * *

 **YES! Cavalry Battle finished! Goddamn, you have no idea how hard it is for me to write this! Especially the whole match in tow! I honestly wasn't expecting it to be this hard at all, but I manages to pull through in the end, and finish this chapter!**

 **And, as you can tell by the cliff hanger, Ingenium, Iida Tensei is here in Yuuei! Why, you may ask? Well, you just have to wait for the next chapter and see! All I can say it is the butterfly effect in action.**

 **By the by, I'm running out of ideas for the Omake parts of the chapters. As such, as shameless I am, wanted to ask you guys for any ideas for any future omakes from this chapter onwards? You can let me know in the reviews, or PMing me. It can be anything, as long it can be funny.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Sport Festival: Tournament, Part One**

* * *

I couldn't believe what I am seeing right now…

The catalyst of one of the biggest events in Iida's character growth, the one that would kickstart the end of Stain's little 'crusade', Iida Tensei aka Ingedium is standing and talking to me in the Sports Festival, and NOT patrolling and getting attacked by the Hero Killer.

Oh god, what is going on, right now!?

Why is he here!?

"Hm? Is there something on my face?" Ingenium suddenly asked, getting me out of my thoughts. The Pro Hero is in his costume with his helmet tucked under his arm, which is almost identical to Iida's with a few differences, like how the exhaust pipe thing is on his arm instead of the legs and the whole outfit design is more streamlined compared to Iida's almost robot-looking suit.

"Oh! N-No! It's nothing!" I quickly tell him, "It's just… I didn't expect to meet you. They say they are getting pretty much every active Hero in Mufasa City, but you're stationed in Hosu, aren't you?"

"Hahaha, guess that's true." He chuckles, "I'm not actually here on a job. Well, technically I am, but not the usual work. I'm here to scout for future potential Heroes to join our agency."

"Scouting? You?" I asked curiously. Now that I think about it, it does make some kind of sense. It has been stated that most Pro Heroes that came to spectate the Sports Festival is mostly here to look for any 'Diamond in the Rough', so to speak, to hopes to hiring them in the future.

"That's rare of you, brother." Iida points out with a chopping motion, "You never has any interest in such things before."

"That's usually the case, but this year is special." He stated, looking at me, "Because Hermes-san's daughter is participating this year."

"Eh? Me?" I asked curiously, "Why me?"

"You see, Hermes-san was my mentor in a sense." He pointed out my surprise, "I had my first internship under his agency where he has taught me many things about the Hero career. Even when I graduated from Yuuei and inherited Ingenium from dad, I've found myself calling him up for advice. Next to dad, he's the one that made me the Hero I am today."

"Dad did…?" I wasn't sure what I was expecting. To think that dad, DAD of all people, has shaped one of the most well-known Hero of his generation!

"So, when I heard from Iida that you're attending Yuuei as his classmate, I knew that when the Sports Festival came around, I HAVE to see you in action for myself." He then grins at me, "And I am thoroughly impressed! It's like I'm watching Hermes-san is action again!"

I couldn't help but blush at the compliment. "T-Thanks, I try…"

"Oh, and Iida too!" He added on, "Great job in passing into the Second Stage! I'm proud, baby brother. And that Recipro Burst? Great execution!"

"Thank you! You are too kind!"

"But it still could use some fine tuning. I suggest that you…"

The two brothers start conversing about their quirks, with me ending up like a third wheel all of the sudden. Man, to get compliments from Ingenium? A real Pro Hero for my actions? That's awesome!

But then the repercussion of him being here starts to poke at my head and I realized what it meant. If Ingenium is here, and not back in Hosu City, that means that the whole Stain attacking and crippling him wouldn't happen, and that means that the whole Iida going full-Sasuke on Stain wouldn't occur.

Did… Did I just save him just by existing?

Man, Butterfly Effects and all that jazz, I didn't think this was possible! There goes any of my plans for the Internship Arc, guess I got to make altercations later.

But then, if he wasn't the one that got attacked, then that means that someone else would be at the end of Stain's knife. And he or she might not be lucky to survive that encounter like Ingenium. Is that… really okay…?

"Hello? You still there?"

"H-Huh?"

I got out of my thoughts when Ingenium waves his hand in front of my face, he looking at me with worry. Huh, now that I looked closely, he and Iida do look alike, with some small difference like eyebrow shaped and face structure.

"You zoned for a moment there." He points out, "Are you doing okay?"

"O-Oh! Yeah! Yeah, I'm doing fine!" I laughed as I gave him a thumbs-up, "Just thinking about the next part of the Festival, that's all."

"Ah, that." He laughed, "Man, won't that be a spectacle? I'm looking forward to seeing you two in action."

"Thank you, brother!" Iida raises his hand up with great enthusiasm, "I won't let you down!"

"I'm sure you won't." He chuckles, before turning to me and raising his hand towards me, "It's nice meeting you, Tatsuya Genko. I'll be watching closely. Make Hermes-san's name proud!"

"Y-Yeah!" I nodded, grasping his hand in a firm handshake, "I'll do my absolute best!"

"Good!" He chuckles, "I'll be heading off then."

As I watch the Pro Hero leave, nervousness starts to sink in. Man, oh man, talk about pressure now. I was just planning on doing my absolute best out there, but now I know that he is watching me…? Oh boy, is this what Midoriya feels when he is out there?

"Tatsuya-san." Iida addresses as he turns to me, "I know that we may not have interacted as much, but I wanted to say that next to Midoriya, you are the one that I wish to surpass more than anyone else."

"Eh?" I was blown away at that declaration. What is he going on about!? I thought the whole rival thing is only between Todoroki and Midoriya!?

"Since the Quirk Assessment on our first day, I've seen you as someone that I need to challenge one day." He points out, "Speed has always been my family's greatest strength, as it is mine. But you, when you overtook me in the assessment with such ease, I knew right then that I have to overcome you if I were to take on my family's mantle one day."

"So, Tatsuya-san." He raises his hand up and thrust out a fist towards me, "I'll be coming at you with all I've got."

I blinked at that. I didn't think he was thinking like that this whole time. Come to think of it, he did have that intense stare whenever we are close to each other… I guess his serious personality goes that to him, huh? Taikou, Shinsou, Midoriya to an extent, and now even Iida. How many rivals am I getting in this tournament?

Even so…

I grinned as I thrust out my fist in response, "Same here, Iida-san." It doesn't change anything. I'll be aiming for the top too.

* * *

After lunch, which I barely made it in time and got to have at least somewhat of a meal, the festival continues. We all return to the stadium, rested and ready for the next part.

But…

"Hm? What's this?" Present Mic stated over the comms as we all got into our classes, "It looks like Class A and B seems to have a bit of change in costume? Not that I mind, if you know what I'm saying, but I wonder why?"

"You tricked us, Kaminari-kun!" Momo shouted rather angrily.

As for why she is angry, apparently Kaminari, with help from his newly-acquired comrade in Mineta, manages to somehow convinced both Momo and Class B's Kendo that the girls are to join the Cheerleaders after lunch, that it is an order from Aizawa and Vlad King.

And that ended up with all of us, me including because I was too dumb to realized that it was a ploy from them before it was too late, wearing the same revealing Cheerleader outfit as the actual American Cheerleaders dancing about.

"MINETA, YOU DAMN PERVERTED PIG!"

I glance over to Class B for a moment to confirm my suspicions, as Taikou is getting held back by that large hairy student from the Cavalry Battle and is screaming at the grape-haired student who gave Kaminari a high-five when they past each other.

"How could I've let myself get tricked by such a stupid prank…" My tall ebony-haired classmate mutters dejectedly with Uraraka consoling her over it, "I even used my quirk to made these outfits…"

"Those damn pervert idiots…!" Jirou stated angrily as she tosses the pom-poms on the ground.

"I don't know." I stated as I took a look at myself and spun a little letting the skirt flutter up a bit, "I kind of like the outfit." I really wanted to wear this in my previous life, but due to my… alignment… I never got the change to do so.

"Yeah, yeah!" Hagakure noted shaking her pom-poms rather excitedly, "I mean, we're already dressed for it, why now just roll with it!?"

"You seem to enjoy these things, Toru-chan." Tsuyu said with croak.

"I'm so sorry for all of this." Kendo apologized to us.

"No, no, it's fine." Ashido assures her, "No harm done."

"W-Well! Ahem! Minus the little… wardrobe change, I like to welcome everyone back!" Present Mic tells us, "Now, before we move on the final event, I've got good news those out of the running! As this is still a Sports Festival, we've prepared a few recreational activities for all participants! Hope you all enjoy this little recreational competition!"

"But once THAT is over, we're on to the final event! Between the 16 members of the four winning teams, we'll have a formal tournament! A series of one-on-one battles!"

"A tournament, huh?" Kirishima noted, "So we'll be up in that ring I see on TV every year!"

"Was it a tournament last year too?" Ashido asked.

"The format's always different, but most of the time it involves some kind of head-to-head competition." Sero tells her, "Last year, it was foam sword fighting."

"The match-ups will be decided by drawing lots." Midnight tells us holding up the polling box. They sure like their polling boxes, don't they? "Once that is settled, we'll move on to the festivities and then the tournament itself! It's up to each of you 16 finalists whether or not you participate in the fun. I expect some of you would rather take a breather and save your strength."

"Now, let's start with the first-place team…"

After a series of drawing lots one after another as well as confirmation on who among us is going to join in the recreational activities, we got our first match-ups for the tournament.

It goes as follows:

Midoriya versus Shinsou

Todoroki versus Sero

Me, Tatsuya versus Kaminari

Iida versus Hatsume

Ashido versus Tokoyami

Yaoyorozu versus Taikou

Ojirou versus Kirishima

Uraraka versus Bakugou

Some of the match-ups followed the canon, if I remember correctly, but a few exceptions came out, like how Ashido is going up against Tokoyami in the first round instead of maybe Taikou or Ojirou, considering that Aoyama didn't make it to the final event.

But when I saw my match-up, I'm not sure whether I should be happy that it might be an easy victory, or letdown as I might not be able to show off my stuff in the beginning. Guess I'll have to bring it my all with Iida in the next round.

Also, with these match-ups, it is assured that I might have to go against Todoroki in the semi-finals. And that, I am not looking forward to it. My quirk is completely useless compared to his, and I have no way to negate his attacks like Midoriya's One-For-All smashes. Sure, he broke his fingers and arm doing so, but at least he didn't suffer an instant knock-out.

Sorry, Sero… luck is not on your side…

Speaking of luck, Shinsou would have to deal with Todoroki is he made it past Midoriya, right? Not sure how he is going to deal with it, seeing as the cool son of Endeavor isn't the type to strike up a conversation so easily. Add in his animosity to his father… yeah, he doesn't stand a chance. Sorry, Shinsou…

Now that I look closely, with how the match-ups are distributed, wouldn't that mean that Taikou would have to fight with Bakugou after all? He is definitely going to enjoy that.

"Now, let's set aside the tournament for the time being, and get on with the thrill-a-minute festivities!"

With that last announcement, the audience cheers as more fireworks are fired into the sky while Midnight starts to explain each of the recreational events to us.

"So, I'm dealing with Midoriya first, huh?" Shinsou spoke up as he got next to me, "It's going to difficult, seeing that he knows about my quirk and all."

"Oh, you'll figure it out!" I assures him with a smile, "You've got three years of martial arts training under your belt, right? Use that to your advantage!"

"…Yeah, you're right." He smirks, "Although you've got the luckiest draw among all of us. Kaminari, he's the guy who was shocking everyone during the Cavalry Battle, right?"

"Yup, the same one."

"You are going to steam-roll all over him."

"Definitely." I stated with small sigh, "Guess I'll have to leave impressing the Heroes to my match with Iida-san."

"Oh yeah, that glasses guy. Isn't he the one who berates Midoriya during the entrance exam?" He asked, "What does he want with you?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wanted introduce his brother, Ingenium, to me." I stated, "And hear this. Apparently, my dad taught him everything he knows about Hero work!"

"Whoa, seriously!?"

"I was just as surprised as you!"

"Hey guys!" Taikou walks up to us, "What did I miss?"

"Just Genko telling us that her dad has taught Ingenium everything about Hero work." Shinsou tells him.

"Wait, seriously!?" My childhood friend cries out in shock, "That Ingenium, the Turbo Hero that is considered one of the fastest Heroes of the nation, was taught by YOUR dad!?"

"Yeah! Not only that, he's in the audience at this very moment!" I bounced a little from the excitement, "Oh, I'm definitely going to bring out everything I have for this! I'm going to impress him with all I got!"

"Heh, he'll definitely be impressed." Shinsou noted with a smirk.

* * *

The recreational activities after the announcements are lots of fun to have.

It is mostly the standard sport festival stuff, with a few minor changes here and there to make them more flashy than usual. Too bad there's now tower topping, but considering what some of our classmates' quirks can do…? Yeah, it's a given to exclude that.

I didn't participate in any of the activities myself, deciding to cheer my class along with my female classmates. Got to say, despite being the result of a perverted scheme, I sure have lots of fun being a cheerleader.

Anyways, with all those activities out of the way, it's finally time for the event that everyone is waiting for.

"Hey, guys! Are you ready!?" Present asked the spectating crowd that lets out loud cheers that reverberate across the stadium, "You've been through hell to get here, but now it's time for the one-on-one tournament! You've only got yourself to rely on! Even if you're not a Hero, this saying holds true! You know it! Spirit, technique, wisdom and knowledge! Use them all and show us your best!"

"And without further ado! Here's the first match of the day!"

Our classes are allocated into special audience boxes close to the stage, one for each of our classes. I managed to get the front seat, changed back to my Yuuei tracksuit, and seating next to Tsuyu and in front of Ashido.

If I remember correctly, in order to find the match, you are to either knock your opponent out of the ring, immobilizing them or getting them to surrender. The ways to accomplish that are virtually limitless, as there are no rules against fighting as dirty as you can. Of course, killing is heavily forbidded.

"Oh boy, here we go…" I muttered as I watches my middle school friend and my classmate walks up into the ring. To my knowledge, this fight isn't all that impressive in canon, with Shinsou never having any prior martial arts training and Midoriya is still having trouble handling One-For-All. But in this timeline, in my reality, things are different.

How different is the fight going to be, I wonder…?

"Making a weird face despite his excellent performance, it's Hero Course's Midoriya Izuku! VERSUS! Sadly, he hasn't made much of a splash yet but has people guessing, it's General Course's Shinsou Hitoshi!"

From what I am sitting, the two of them stood a good distance away from each other, with Shinsou stretching his arms while Midoriya is doing something similar with his knuckles as Present Mic explains the rules of the tournament. From an outsider's perspective, Shinsou has a huge disadvantage in this fight. Despite not using at full power, Midoriya's Full Cowl ability gains him a significant boost in speed and strength that he could easily overpowers him.

But unknown to many, excluding Midoriya, he has ways to dealing with such quirks. After all, he has plenty of practice dealing with mine and Taikou's.

"Midoriya sure got a tough one of the get-go." Ashido points out.

"Yeah." Kirishima nodded, "With his quirk, once he got a hold on you, it's game over."

"Is he that difficult to deal with?" Kaminari asked.

"Bakugou got caught in it and couldn't even fight against it."

"Oh yeah, he blown himself up a few times back in the Cavalry Battle."

"WHO BLOW HIMSELF UP, HUH!?" The blonde delinquent shouted angrily, "And he just got lucky! No way I'm getting caught in that thing again!"

"You got caught back in the cafeteria, though." Tsuyu points out.

"Wait, really!?" I asked, ignoring Bakugou's shouts in the background, "What did he made him do? Do you get a picture?"

"Here." She took out her phone and shows me the picture she took. I nearly fall off my seat laughing, the photo showing the exact moment when Bakugou dunks his head into a large bowl of miso soup. Oh, man! I got to get Shinsou to do this more often!

"Shut the fuck up, blondie!"

"NOW! LET'S GET THIS THING STARTED!" Present Mic announced over the comms, "REEEEEEEEEAAAADDDDDDYYYY!?"

I brought my attention back to the match as I awaited excitedly for the match to begin.

* * *

Midoriya got into a loose fighting stance, the power of One-For-All flows through his body as he actives Full Cowl. 'Shinsou-san's quirk has a trigger to activate, answering his question. As long as I don't speak, I'll be fine… just focus on getting him out of the ring. Do not open your mouth… just focus…'

Shinsou himself got into a fighting stance as well, 'He knows my quirk, so he'll be cautious about speaking…' his breath steadies as he readies himself, 'Midoriya's quirk is insanely powerful, and has the speed to match. But he has a habit of charging at things ahead… and once he got close…'

"START!"

'…On pushing him out!'

'…I'll trap him!'

The green-haired teen rushes forward, going straight ahead towards his opponent at top speed. His purple-haired opponent is ready for his charge and stood his ground as Midoriya strike a palm strike to push Shinsou to the ground, only for him to dodge the strike and grab his arm before kicking his legs and throwing the One-For-All user onto the ground and out of Full Cowl.

Once they are on the ground, he maneuvers his body to pin his opponent down in a standard wristlock.

"Oh! What's this! Just one move and Midoriya is pinned down! Damn, this Shinsou fella. He's something else! Kind of reminds me of you, Eraserhead!"

"Is that so?"

Midoriya grunts in pain as he struggles to move his pinned arm, which Shinsou response with pulling it towards himself even more. 'This is bad! I've miscalculated! I've forgotten his throws and grabbles!'

"There are ways to deal with quirks like yours, Midoriya." Shinsou tells him with a grin as he tightens his hold, "And I have plenty of experience dealing with them."

'Calm down!' The green haired hero-to-be thought hastily, 'This isn't over yet! Keep Full Cowl going…!' One-For-All surges through his body and using that new strength, he uses his freed arm and pushes against the ground as hard as he could.

"Oh, ho! Looks like Midoriya is fighting back!"

Slowly but surely, he lifts himself up and pushes Shinsou off of him before running back and gaining a good distance away from him. "Damn." Shinsou muttered out as he got back on his feet.

"And he got out! Any longer, and it's game over for him!"

'If I keep my distance away from him, he can't use a grapple to pin me down.' Midoriya thought as he massages his wrist, 'But I also can't push him out without getting close. Except… maybe, but the risks…'

'A wristlock isn't good enough.' Shinsou thought, 'Looks like I need to get him in an armlock. And for that…'

"Hey, Midoriya!" He shouted out to him, "Can't come close now, can't you!? Guess it goes to show that no matter how good a quirk is, it's useless if you can't use it right! A real wasted potential there!"

"…" His opponent bit his lips in an attempt to stop himself from responding.

"But that's not a problem for me!" He stated he walks forward, "My quirk may have very gimmicky, but it can be used anywhere, anywhen, anyhow. Compare to yours, mine seems a lot better, isn't it? Looks like that golden ticket of yours isn't worth a damn thing! It's all been for nothing in the end!"

"…! You take tha-!"

"Got you."

In the moment he realized what he has done, Midoriya has lock himself into a trance via brainwashing. 'That was a close one.' Shinsou sighed as he picked up the pace, 'Sorry, Midoriya, but that's the only way I know to get a reaction out of you. Hope you'll forgive me.'

"Shinsou's coming in for another attack! But Midoriya is not moving at all!? What's going on!?"

'Not good! Not good! I can't believe I fell for that!' Midoriya berates himself in his mind as he struggles in vain to move, 'Damn it! Damn it! I've gotten so far! After what everyone has done for me! It can't end like this…!'

"It's over, Midoriya." Shinsou states as he took to a run, ready to tackle him to the ground.

'MOVE!'

Then, something happened. In the green-haired teen mind, an image is shown. A vision of eight different shadowy figures standing in of him, each of them of various sizes and shapes but all distinctly human. One of them even has two antennae-looking cowlicks sticking up from his head.

And in that same moment, he felt one of his hands freed from the control, flowing with the inherited quirk's power. And within that singular moment of freedom, he moves fingers and flicks his index finger downwards, the resulting impact sends a shockwave flying in all directions, kicking up clouds of dust around him.

Shinsou, who is not prepared for the sudden movement, is thrown backwards by the shockwave, sending him tumbling onto the concrete floor. "How is he able to move?" He wonders as he got back up on his feet.

From within the cloud of dust, Midoriya gasps as he felt the sudden pain of his broken finger, 'W-What was that just now? An illusion?' He then recalls what All Might had said about One-For-All, 'It's passed down like a torch… was those the past users of One-For-All…'

He shook his head. Not the time to think, it is a time for action! He quickly fires up One-For-All and enter Full Cowl, before rushing out of the dust clouds at full speed. Seeing his opponent coming straight at him, Shinsou readies himself to trap him into another grapple.

But Midoriya knew he would do that, as such at the last second, to Shinsou's shock, he cartwheels over him to avoid his counter. While in the air, he raises his hand towards the purple-haired teen and concentrate a hundred percent of One-For-All on his middle finger and flicks it as hard as he can.

The shockwaves from the move blew straight towards a stunned Shinsou, blowing him backwards towards the ring's edge. He digs his soles in the ground as hard as he can to stop himself from moving, but to no avail as he eventually trips over himself and tumbles across the edge, landing just before the stairs.

Midoriya himself nearly cross the edge as well, tumbling to a stop just an inch from the line, barely dodging a lost.

"Shinsou, Ring Out!" Midnight announces, "Midoriya advances to the second round!"

"And we have a winner! Midoriya of Class 1-A advances on! Oh lord mighty, we are off to an eventful start, my listeners! Give our two great competitors a big round of applause!"

As the crowd clapped and cheered for the winner, Shinsou and Midoriya have gotten back up and walk up to each other. The purple-haired teen gave a small huff before raising his hand up to his opponent, "Good match, Midoriya. Sorry for all the mean stuff I said back there. I didn't mean a single word of it. No hard feelings?"

Midoriya grimaced a little, before smiling and grasping the hand, and then regretted it as it was his injured hand that he used. Shinsou notices this and quickly let go and put up his other hand instead, which Midoriya grasps onto instead, "No hard feelings. Thank you for the match."

"Look at that sportsmanship, folks! What a show of good faith! THIS is what the Sports Festival has been all about!"

…

I let out a small whine at the match's results, "Oh…! He's so damn close!"

"It was a close match, kero." Tsuyu stated, "I didn't think Shinsou-san knew judo."

"He definitely got Midoriya on the ropes, that's for sure." Kaminari pointed out.

"I'll say." Kirishima nodded, "He got some moves!"

"Yeah! It's like watching a kung-fu flick!" Ashido stated energetically while throwing out some mock punches.

"He's no master, but he definitely got the fundamentals down." Ojiro noted, "And his techniques aren't half-bad. He has to been training a lot."

"But Midoriya-kun still blew him away!" Hagakure stated.

"Way to go, Deku-kun!" Uraraka cheered on.

"Mm! As expected of Midoriya!" Iida nodded robotically.

"Tch, damn Deku." Bakugou grumbles on angrily. Still as bitter as always, isn't he?

Shinsou… hope he isn't feeling too depressed over the match. He trained so hard for it too…

My phone then rings to my surprise, I opening it to the group chat between me, Taikou and Shinsou, with a message from Shinsou that makes me smile.

[Will win next year! Just you wait!]

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

"Go, Class 1-A, GO!" Genko cheers with all her might as her fellow classmates cheering along with her, at least those who are kind of willingly to do so. The punk-rock girl, Jirou, is just sitting down watching her classmates perform improv cheers with little to no coordination.

Genko then turns to her with an eager cheer, "Come on, Jirou-san! Lift those poms-poms!"

"I never said I want to!" She pouted, "Besides, this is all that pervert Kaminari's fault! Why should I go along with his wishes!?"

"Because it's fun!" Both she and Hagakure stated with a smile, or at least Genko is smiling while the invisible girl just did the smiling sound effect.

"You two sure are cut from the same cloth, Toru-chan, Genko-chan." Tsuyu noted.

"You think so?" Hagakure wonders.

"Tatsuya-san!"

They all stopped cheering as Shoji runs up to them, "Let me borrow you for a second!"

"Huh? Why?"

He then turns over a piece of paper that indicates what item he needs for the borrowing race. On said paper, is the words [American Model] written in bold text.

"…Um…" Genko embarrassing rubs her neck, "I'm flattered, but my mom's European, so…"

"You have blonde hair." He pointed out, "Close enough."

"…Right…"

She struggles to keep her blush down as she is piggybacked towards the finish line on the large teen's back.

* * *

 **Yup! Finally finished! Sorry for taking so long, I was busy writing for my One Piece fic and lost track of time.**

 **Also, I am once again, starting up my other dead fic from three years ago, a Negima X KHR crossover fic by the title:** Vongola Magic Knight **. It's a reboot of my first fic which I wrote when I was in my semi-weeaboo stage as an anime fan, so the writing to be a little bad here and there.**

 **Another thing is that I've been planning on writing a Shield Hero fic! With all the hype is going on, I couldn't help myself to try and write one myself. A sample of it is on a new story,** One-Shots Galore **, where I'll be posting various small pilots of any new fics I thought about and see how you react.**

 **And finally, huge thanks to** Xenvic **for his ideas for the next few Omakes I'll be writing, his ideas are one of the best I've heard about.**

 **If anyone has any more ideas on any omakes, be sure to let me know.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Sport Festival: Tournament, Part Two**

The next match is Sero against Todoroki, and we all know how this match is going to go down from the get-go.

I blinked and all of the sudden an ice spike is a few inches away from my nose. Damn, Todoroki, that's kind of an overkill, don't you think!? If I didn't feel sorry for Sero then, I definitely am now. He really picked the worst card in this scenario, didn't he? Needless to say, the winner is the dual-toned hair teen.

After that, it is my turn.

* * *

I stood in the arena, my hands trembling with excitement, with Kaminari standing opposite me in a similar state. I can still feel the cold from Todoroki's ice lingering in the air, unsurprisingly.

"Now that the arena is all thawed out, it's time for the next match!" Present Mic announced, "The fastest woman in this stadium and the queen of lightning! The Empress of Speed, it's Tatsuya Genko! VERSUS! The sparkling, killing boy! Kaminari Denki!"

"Quite a name you got." Kaminari tells me, I could only nervously chuckle at that with my cheeks filled red. Got to hand it to Present Mic, he knows how to hype up the place.

"I'm not sure about the whole Empress of Speed title, though…"

"While all I got is sparkling boy?" He let out a dejectedly sigh, "Man, it's like nobody is taking me seriously…"

When you go all dumb-dumb after expelling too much voltage, it's hard for anyone to take you seriously. Is what I want to point out but choose not to, to keep some of his dignity intact. Besides, lightning quirks are often the most devastating quirks out there, if Marvel's Thor and the Infamous series has taught me that much.

I wonder if he could get a similar weapon to Cole Macgrath, maybe an electric baton of some sort?

"Just to let you know." The blonde electric teen smirks as he took to a stance, "I'm not to go easy on you just because you are cute."

"Um… thanks?" I blinked as I got into a boxing stance as well.

Okay, now how is he going to do this? He must know that electricity isn't going to work with me, so he might go for hand-to-hand. If what I remember from our first Battle Trial on the second day in school, Kaminari isn't too shabby in the CQC category, a somewhat average brawler.

But that was almost a month ago, and a lot can change in that short period of time. He might have improved his combat skills since then.

"Reeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddy!? START!"

"This will only take a moment!" Then Kaminari betray all my expectations of him actually using his brain and charge up his AOE voltage attack.

"Um… You know I absorb electricity, right?" I pointed out to him.

"No duh! But! Even if you absorb all that electricity, there's only a set limit of voltage you can absorb at one time, right!?"

Wait, is he planning on–

"So what happens when you exceed that limit, I wonder!? ONE MILLION VOLTS!"

With that, he releases all his voltage all around him, with the electric charge that didn't get grounded flowing right at me which I then slams my hand on the ground and start absorbing the voltage.

True, my body has a limit of amount of voltage I can allow to absorb at one given time, and if I exceed could harm my nerves irreparably. Learn that the hard way when I stuck a fork into the power socket at the age of eight, not a pleasant experience at all.

But I also know that just moving around use up more voltage than I can absorb, and the faster I go means using more voltage in general.

As such, once I feel I hit my cap limit, I immediately dashes forward at him in the fastest speed I am currently capable of. The surroundings blur for a moment, before Kaminari's shocked derpy-looking face appear for an instant which I then land a sucker punch right into, dispelling his electric attack and sending him tumbling across the arena before stopping at just the edge of the ring.

I hear the entire stadium fall silent for a moment, Midnight blinked for a moment before regaining her composure as she looked at my fellow blonde student, and then gave out her verdict, "Kaminari's down! Tatsuya Genko advances to the second round!"

"I-It's over! I blinked and it's over!" Present Mic screams in astonishment, "What a match! That didn't take even a minute to end!"

I quickly ran over to my classmate to check on him; and sure enough, his nose seems to be dented in with trails of blood flow from his nostrils. I've thought I feel his nose broke under my knuckles. Oops… sorry, Kaminari! Please, oh please let it just be a concussion!

I am only willing to leave once the nurse bots arrived and put Kaminari on a stretcher before wheeling off towards the medical ward. On my way back, I ran into the one whose match is after mind.

"Hey, Iida-san." I greeted him with a wave before noticing him wearing some gear, "Um… what are those?"

"Oh, these are the support items given to me by Hatsume!" He tells me with a robotic wave of his hand, "She gave them to me in hopes for us to be on equal footing in this match!"

"Uh, huh…" I'm pretty skeptical about her reasons being so noble. In the manga, she isn't the type of person who would do such a thing, and didn't she use the tournament as advertisement of sorts?

"Well, I must be off!" He tells me as he jogs/match off towards the arena, "See you in the quarter finals!"

"Y-Yeah! Sure!" I nodded in response.

When I heard the pink-haired inventor's loud voice echoing through the walls as she starts her sales pitch on her inventions, I let out a small sigh. Iida-san, you just got played…

* * *

Thankfully, Kaminari only has a concussion from my strike along with a broken nose that Recovery Girl is capable of mending. He is discharged by the time Iida's match is over, with a medical patch over his nose for his troubles.

The next match after the sales-pitch fight, which I'm sure is going to leave our class president completely dejected about the whole thing since his brother is here in the stadium and is shown such a rather humiliating play, is Ashido against Tokoyami, and let me be perfectly honest, it couldn't be any more one-sided.

Tokoyami's quirk, Dark Shadow, has one heck of a reach and is pretty much a Jojo Stand made manifest. Ashido's quirk couldn't make a single dent in his defense, which he then slowly and surely forces her back till she left the ring, earning him that win within about a couple of minutes.

Now, the next one after them, that's something I'm paying close attention to.

"We are a quarter of the way done with the first round, people! Let's get all pumped up in here!" Present Mic speak up about it, "For this match; he's the definition of hot-blooded, the only member of Class 1-B in this tournament, it's Naru Taikou!"

"SUCK IT, NEITO!"

I let out a small groan and chuckle at his reaction to his introduction. Of course, he is going to use this chance to be as smug as possible. If there's one thing I know about Taikou, is that he likes to rub his victory against people he has grudges with. And boy, does he keep his grudges…

"Um…V-VERSUS! All purpose creation! She came in on recommendation, so her skills are certified, it's Yaoyorozu Momo!"

"That guy, huh?" Sero noted, "Yaoyorozu is going to have a really tough time dealing with him."

"I'll say." Kirishima nodded, "Taikou is pretty tough opponent for Yaoyorozu. His quirk is pretty straight-forward, but he manages to make it work in multitude of ways."

"But Yaomomo is pretty tough too!" Mina argued back, "GO, YAOMOMO! KICK HIS BUTT!"

"Hey, Kirishima-san." I turned to the red-haired teen, "Isn't your match after theirs? Ojiro-san has already left, you know."

"Oh crap, you're right!" He leaped off his seat before rushing off.

* * *

'This is going to be tricky…' Taikou knows of Yaoyorozu's quirk, if what occurred during what he dubbed in his head as the 'Mineta Cheerleader Perversion Incident' is any indication, and how versatile it can be in all sorts of situations. 'Creation… with that versality, if I let her have a chance to counter attack, I'll be a goner…'

"START!"

With that in mind, the moment the signal for the match to start is announced, he jumps literally into action by igniting his feet and rocketing towards her and slamming a flaming kick right at her.

"OH! And Naru made the first move!"

She is able to create a shield in time to block his attack, but is pushed back by the sheer weight behind his attack. 'Don't let up! Keep her off balance!' He is then followed by another kick, and another, and another, and another as he let loose a flurry of flaming kicks at her shield, she barely keeping it up with each attack sending her back one step with each hit.

"What ferocity! It's kick after kick after kick! He doesn't even give Yaoyorozu time to breath!"

'Such heavy kicks…! And so fast too…!' The black-haired girl is unable even attempt to counter attack as the relentless attacks force her to keep her guard up and not let her enough time to create a weapon to do so.

With one final kick, Taikou pushes himself off of her shield and lands a good distance away, crouching in a sprinter position. Yaoyorozu quickly use this small breathing time to create a kali stick and prepare to counter her opponent next attack.

What she didn't expect is for Taikou to ignites his feet at such ferocity and then rockets at her to deliver a dropkick at speeds she didn't think he is capable of. She quickly lifts up her shield to defend herself and blocks the attack, but that in turn sends her flying and tumbling back onto her back.

She quickly got back up and prepares to fight back, but…

"Ring out!"

Midnight's declaration rung across the stadium, shocking the black-haired girl before she looks down at her feet to find that she has one foot already outside the ring.

'He… has been pushing me towards the edge this whole time…!?'

"And it's OVER! Naru Taikou is proceeding to the next round!"

Taikou pumps his fist, letting out small victory cry. His opponent could only stare in shock as she drops her creations onto the ground, "I… couldn't even…"

* * *

"Ah, Yaomomo lost!" Ashido groaned.

"Well, that's anti-climactic." Sato stated in surprise, "Didn't expect it to be so one-sided."

"Yaoyorozu couldn't strike back at all." Tokoyami noted.

"Yaoyorozu-san's quirk is strong, but if she can't use what she creates it's pretty much useless." I pointed out, "I guess Taikou is aiming for that when he made the first move."

"But to think it would end so quickly like that…" Jirou noted.

"Strange, isn't it!?" A very familiar and equally annoying voice shouted at us.

We all turned to the wall that separated the classes into their respective booths, and on top of said wall is 1-B's own notorious blonde troublemaker, Monoma Neito. "For someone of the amazing Class 1-A to be defeated so one-sidedly?! Isn't that girl the one of the recommended students!? How strange for someone of such outstanding stature get defeated so easily-"

"And that's enough out of you."

A heavy chop later, and Monoma's gloating is put to a stop and pulled off the wall by Class 1-B's class president, "I'm so sorry for this." Kendo apologized as she drags him back into the booth.

"Man, what a buzzkill." Ashido pouted.

"I'll say!" Hagakure nodded, I think. It's kind of hard to tell with her being invisible and all that.

The next fight between Kirishima and Ojiro is… pretty average, to say the least.

At first, Kirishima seems to have the advantage as Ojiro has no way around his hardening quirk. But then the tailed teen took a page out of Taikou and keeps on hitting his opponent without relenting, and with enough force that he could push him back a bit at a time. Thanks to this, he is able to push Kirishima make enough to the edge of the ring, and uses his tail to trip him, causing his leg to fall out of the edge and earn him a win.

What can I say? Average win for the most average person in our year.

The match-up afterward is a one-to-one exact to the manga.

It is Bakugou versus Uraraka, and like in the manga, it is pretty one-sided in Bakugou's favor. He keeps on blasting explosions after explosions right at the girl with full force whenever she got close. The brunette doesn't stand a chance at all and each explosion is another burn and bruise on her. But despite all that, she keeps getting back up and kept on charging at him.

Sure enough, the audience around us all starts to boo at Bakugou for his harsh behavior, and then Aizawa proceeds to tear into the Pro Heroes in the audience for acting and judging so poorly.

A moment later, everything came together.

Using Bakugou's own explosions, Uraraka manages to gather enough rubble that she suspended in the air using her gravity quirk. And thanks to Bakugou's own explosions creating a smoke scream around them, he didn't notice it at all until she removed her quirk and sends all the rubble crashing down a top of them in a miniature meteor shower.

Sadly, her plan is foiled with the blonde delinquent blasting away the rubble meteors with a huge explosion. Even so, she gets up to try again, only to fumble and collapse from exhaustion, earning Bakugou that win.

I saw Midoriya slipping away to prepare for the match ahead, the match I know is the highlight in the whole arc.

This time, however, Midoriya is much stronger than the one in the manga, and has more control over the One-For-All. Add to the fact that he has some level of martial prowess due to sparring with me, Taikou and Shinsou, he might be the strongest he could ever be at this point of time.

Is he strong enough to stand up against Todoroki of all people?

We can only wait and see.

"Oh, rough match out there, huh, Villain Face?" Sero's comment brought me out of my thoughts, Bakugou making his way into the booth with a scowl on his face, "Awkward match-ups aside, you do great at playing the bad guy, Bakugou."

"Shut the hell up, all of you!" He screams at us.

"No, really. Nice job in blowing up that frail little girl." Kaminari sarcastically remarked, "Not like me. I held back against mine."

"I'm pretty sure you went full out in our match, Kaminari." I pointed out to him, "Full 100 million volts."

"Aw, come on, Tatsuya-san…"

"Hmph!" Bakugou huffed as he sits down on the seat before muttering out, "What part of her is frail? Idiots…"

…Please don't make me ship you two together, Bakugou…!

* * *

Midoriya stopped himself from going back into the preparation room when he heard the sobs behind the door. 'Of course she's broken up over it. Why wouldn't she be!?' He clenched his fists, winching from the shot of pain from his broken and healing fingers, 'I said I want to return the favor, but in the end, I couldn't do anything at all! Even so, she…'

" _Good luck out there. I'm rooting for you."_

Her encouraging words echoes in his mind as he rubs away the tears threatened to spill over. He wouldn't let her down. Her, All Might, Taikou, Shinsou and Genko, he'll take their encouragement and pressed on!

A sudden heat stopped him in his tracks as Endeavor of all people walks out from around the corner.

"Oh."

"E-E-E-E-ENDEAVOR!?"

"There you are." The flaming Hero walks up to him, the flames on his huge frame that parallels All Might's make an intimidating presence, "I was looking for you."

"F-For me?" Midoriya wonders.

"I saw what you did out there." He tells him, "That's an amazing quirk you got, creating such a force with just a flick of your finger. In terms of power, it seems in par with All Might's quirk."

The green haired teen flinched at that observation, 'D-Does he know!? No, he doesn't from how he explained it… but it has to stay a secret from him, especially him! If he finds out…!'

"W-What are you t-talking about?" He fumbles through his words before nervously walking off, "W-Well, I have to get going–"

"My boy, Shoto. He has a duty to surpass All Might."

That sentence stopped him. Endeavor took that as a sign that he is listening and carries on.

"His match against you will prove a valuable test for that. So give it your all. Put up a good fight against him."

Words of Todoroki spilling his reasons for challenging him echoes in his head. Of his abusive childhood, of his estranged relationship with his father, of his conviction of denying him everything by not using the part of him that he got from said father, everything just flashes in his mind.

Now that he has heard the words from Endeavor himself, Midoriya now fully understand the depths of Todoroki's hatred towards him. The sheer abhorrence he has towards the man that made up half of his blood, and his quirk.

He understood it right there and then. But at the same time…

"That's all I have to say." Endeavor turns away to head for the stands, "Sorry for my bluntness–"

"I'm not All Might."

"Hm?"

The number two Hero stopped in his tracks as he turns to face him, "Well, of course you're not–"

"That's right. I'm not." Midoriya continues, before looking back with a scowl on his face, "And Todoroki-kun isn't you!"

The man's eyes narrowed at that proclamation as the green-haired teen walks toward the stadium.

Midoriya now knows what he has to do.

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

"Guess who made it to the second round!?" Taikou walks into his class's booth with his fists in the air as he made it to his seat.

"You did excellent out there!" Kendo congratulated him.

"It was amazing, Taikou!" Pony stated with a smile

"I knew you had it the moment you send that girl flying back with that kick!" Tetsutetsu nodded in agreement as he fist-bumps him, "Man, that was badass!"

"I'll say!" Setsuna patted his back with a grin, "You'll made it to finals no problem!"

"Haha, I wouldn't be so sure." Monoma points out, his entire class turns to face him, "The only reason he won is because his opponent isn't well-suited against him. Pit him with someone like, I don't know, Todoroki? He'll be absolutely destroyed."

"I'm sorry, who made it into the tournament?" Taikou points out as he walks up to him, "Look, I know you don't like me because I hang out with our 'enemies' but you don't have to be such a dick about it!"

"I'm just making a logical observation." He stated with a shrug of his shoulders, "I'm also saying that only got lucky with her, and luck wouldn't hold out for you for long."

"…" Taikou huffed as he walks away and took his seat, "Of course, I knew that…"

* * *

 **Man, that cliff-hanger! Haha, I'm such a stinker, aren't I?**

 **Now, this chapter is a bit tricky to write, especially with how I'm planning this arc to go. Some of the fights in this arc is pretty short, or self-explanatory in the whole Ojiro against Kirishima bit. Sure, Kirishima could harden himself against Ojiro's attack, but it is proven in the anime that Ojiro could push him back with his tail and with the rule of the tournament, it's possible for him to win.**

 **That's my reasoning, anyways.**

 **Now next is the highlight of the arc, the one match that has been hyped since the start of the arc.**

 **How it will go, that's anyone's business!**

 **On a side note, I want to say that ideas for any Omake is still open and if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Sport Festival: Tournament, Part Three**

* * *

"The first match of the second round!" Present Mic announces to the entire stadium, "Both of these competitors have won top marks in this year's Sports Festival so far!"

"On the right, the man who won his first match within seconds, the ice-cold top dog of this tournament; it's Todoroki Shoto! And facing him, this guy is something else, our resident underdog who gave us a run for our money; it's Midoriya Izuku!"

Both Midoriya and Todoroki stood opposite of each other with determined looks on their faces, both them ready to go the moment's notice.

'First, he's going to come at me with that ice…!' Thought the curly haired teen as he begins to invoke Full Cowl.

'It'll be risky if I let him fire off those massive attacks of his…' Thought the two-toned teen, the area around his right foot starts to crystallize ice.

"Two great men, one greater victor! It is as if two great rivals are fighting against each other! Now…"

'So, the moment the match starts…'  
'When the match starts…'

"START!"

'ATTACK!'

Todoroki didn't take another second to think and just unleashes a wall of ice towards his opponent. He also prepares to summon an ice wall behind him in preparation for Midoriya's suicidal but dangerously powerful strike.

He did not expect him to dodge his attack before sprinting towards him at high speeds.

"Todoroki's ice surges through, but Midoriya dodges it at high speeds! No quick win for the son of Endeavor this time!"

'He didn't counter!?'

Slightly panicking, he sends another ice wall towards Midoriya, who dodges it yet again and manages to get close to him on his vulnerable left side.

'He wasn't expecting a close quarter fight…!' The curly teen noticed as he fires off a fast right hook towards his opponent's head. Todoroki quickly swerves his head to the side to avoid the strike, before turning and stepping his right foot out and begins summoning ice around where Midoriya is standing in hopes of freezing him in place.

Midoriya notices this and is able to avoid the ice pillar before it could imprison him. The pillar then grows sideways towards him, the curly haired teen gasps for a moment before leaping to the side to avoid the attack. He fumbles over his feet for a moment before picking speed yet again to gain distance between them.

"You're not getting away!"

Todoroki turns towards his opponent, ice surge from under his feet and propels him forward and towards the curly haired teen.

"Todoroki moves in to close the gap!"

Midoriya saw this and turns around raising his hand towards the ice while his free hand grasps his wrist tight. His finger glows with energy as he flicks and unleashes his air-blasting strike which demolishes the ice that Todoroki is riding on, while letting out a hiss in pain of his bloodied and broken finger soon after.

The two-toned teen, however, has managed to raise the ice under his feet at the last moment before the attack hits, which then propels him upwards in the shockwave after. As he reaches the peak of his jump, he readies his right arm as he falls down towards his opponent ready to freeze him with it.

The curly haired teen notices and leap backwards before Todoroki's arm can touch him. But this is part of the two-toned teen's plan as he unleashes his ice from his hand to trap him. The line of ice races across the arena towards its target, the freezing spikes coming dangerously close him.

Midoriya then twists his body as fast as he could, One-For-All glowing from another his finger as he jabs the empowered appendage onto the ground, blowing out a shockwave around him which destroys the ice closest to him, all the while sending him flying away from the entrapment.

Todoroki nearly got blown off the arena with that move, breaking through his rapidly forming ice walls as he is forced back by the shockwave before stopping really close to the edge. His opponent is about the same, tumbling across the arena before get his footing and skidding to a stop.

"Tch… escaped again…" He breathes out, a shiver going down his body as he feels his own temperature lowering with every move he unleashed.

'It's starting to get low…' He thought as he felt his limbs getting heavy and stiff, 'Anymore and my movements will be affected…' A handicap like that is a death penalty against someone with his opponent's speed, 'I got to end it with my next move.'

Midoriya let out another hiss, tears start to build up from the intense pain of two broken and bloodied fingers, 'As I thought, his quirk is amazing…! Not just that… Judgement skills, execution, mobility, reflexes… everything about him is another level…!'

"I may have been caught off guard just now, Midoriya," The two-toned teen stated as he took a few steps forward away from his crumbling ice support, "But it won't happen the second time."

His opponent gritted his teeth as he starts up Full Cowl again, preparing to dodge another ice attack. As he does that, Midoriya notices something different about him. It's not very obvious, but Todoroki is starting to shiver slightly. 'Shivering…? Why…?' Then it hits him, 'I see… so that's how it is…!?'

"Sorry, but I'm ending this right now!"

With that declaration, Todoroki unleashes his ice at him again. This time, he is going full out as he blasts him with his strongest attack, the same attack he used to incapacitate Sero and ended up freezing half of the arena along with part of the stadium.

"And Todoroki begins his relentless attack once more! And this one looks like it's going to be a big one!"

As the ice spreads across the arena into a giant glacier of ice that speeds towards the One-For-All user, Midoriya immediately cancel Full Cowl and channels the energy into his arm, 'There's no choice! I have to use 100 percent!'

"DETROIT SMASH!"

He punches forward, destroying the glacier in one swift move and sending shards of ice flying everywhere.

"Midoriya counters! And _wow_! That's a huge attack!"

The shockwave blast through the entire stadium, Todoroki having to create another ice wall behind him to stop his momentum from flying back. Due the intense size of the glacier, the resulting destruction ended up blowing up a huge fog/dust cloud the blinds both fighters to each other's actions.

The two-toned teen let out a foggy breath as he places his right foot forward, eyes darting around as ice crackling under his feet in preparation to trap his opponent when he comes in for an attack. 'Where is he going to come from?'

Not a moment later, Midoriya bursts through the fog/dust in Full Cowl from his left side. 'As I thought!' Todoroki eye's darting to his left as he twists his body and unleashes a line of ice towards him, fully preparing to truly trap his opponent this time.

What he did not expect is for him to suddenly somersault over him, avoiding his entrapment and landing behind him and then landing a heavy back-kick onto his back, knocking him forward and nearly toppling over. 'W-What kind of movement is that!?'

Todoroki regains his bearings before turning to face his opponent, only for Midoriya to immediately get right up to him and slams his fist into his solar plexus, knocking the air out of him. As his lungs burned for oxygen, it is followed up by a headbutt to his forehead, knocking him back and onto his ass on the ground clutching his bruised forehead.

* * *

I couldn't believe what I just witnessed.

From the start with Midoriya using Full Cowl to its fullest capacity via dodging Todoroki's ice attacks and getting in close, to when he sacrificed his arm to counter the glacier-sized ice attack, everything is way beyond what was depicted in the manga.

What I did not expect is for him to pull a page from Taikou of all people, recreating the same move, clumsily but effective nonetheless, that has knocked him over just a few days ago! Not only that, he even followed up with a punch and even a headbutt of all things, and manages to knock Todoroki down!

"WOW! What a comeback! To knock him to the ground not just once, not twice, but THRICE! Midoriya is pulling out all sorts of surprises for us! You must be so proud, Eraserhead!"

"There's nothing for me to be proud of. It's the natural end result for all his hard work."

"Holy shit!" Kaminari shouted in shock, "D-Did Midoriya just did that!? To Todoroki of all people!?"

"Talk about unexpected…" Jirou noted.

"Damn, what a turnaround!" Kirishima commented in awe, "What a man you are, Midoriya!"

"You go, Deku-kun!" Uraraka cheered.

"When that glacier came, I thought he's going to be a goner…" Sero sighs in awe, "Now I feel so inadequate."

"Don't mind, kero." Tsuyu consolidates him, "On that note, Midoriya-chan really has improved a lot since the USJ."

"His control over his quirk is way better, too." Shoji noted.

"DDDDDeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…"

I don't even need to look to know where that growling is coming from. The animosity just radiates off of the blonde bomber.

"YOU GO, MIDORIYA!"

Taikou's cheer seems to add oil to the flames as I start to hear the pops coming from him soon after.

Welp, when in Rome…

"Go, Midoriya, GO!"

* * *

The curly haired teen hissed in pain as he grasps his broken arm, Full Cowl dropped the moment he slams his head onto Todoroki's at full force. With one arm down, he has lost a good portion of his fighting capabilities. He has been learning how to kick from Genko and Taikou, but they are extremely clumsy and he is worrying of overextending himself and leaving himself open.

But with how slow the two-toned teen has been to reacting to his recent attacks, that might not be an issue. If he keeps this up, he might beat him. He might made it to the semi-finals.

Even so, that's not the purpose of this fight, not to him.

"What's the matter, Todoroki-kun?" He asked as he watch his opponent sluggishly get back up, "You look cold."

"Grk…"

"Quirks are still just physical abilities; and like muscles tire after running too long, your body has a limit on how much it can bear your ice powers. But… you have a counter for that, don't you?"

"Grr…"

He points to him with his broken fingers, "You could easily warm yourself up with your left side, with your fire powers, can't you?" And with a hiss of pain, he clenched his fist, ignoring the crackling of his broken bones and the blood dripping from his two broken fingers, "Everyone here is putting everything into their match, giving it their all to win… to achieve their goals… to make it to the top!"

"But you want to do the same just by half-assing all the way!?"

Todoroki gritted his teeth, "Midoriya… what are you…"

"You still haven't put even a scratch on me, Todoroki-kun!" Midoriya screams out, invoking Full Cowl, "Come on! Give me everything you've got!"

The two-toned teen couldn't understand what is happening right now. He is down an arm, broke two fingers, and yet he is asking him to go full force at him? What kind of backwards logic is that!?

"What's your deal, Midoriya?" He asked with a scowl on his face, "Did my bastard of a father paid you off or something!?"

"No! This is not about your father, or about All Might! This is just between you and me!"

"You are really starting pissing me off!"

With those last words, he slams his foot down, releasing another line of ice towards his opponent. But Midoriya easily dodges it and ran towards him, slamming his fist into his solar plexus once more, knocking him back.

"OH! AND HE TOOK ANOTHER HIT! Midoriya is going on the offensive!"

"Damn it…" Todoroki coughs out as he tries to replenish his air, "Again with the punch…"

"I'm not done yet!"

With a scream, Midoriya launches himself forward towards him. The two-toned teen quickly launches another line of ice towards him, only for his opponent to leap over it and lands another sucker punch, this time into his cheek. That knocked him back skidding a good few metres.

"And Midoriya presses on the attack!"

Todoroki manages to get back his bearings and unleashes another ice attack towards his opponent. But with the ice now half the speed compared to when the match started, Midoriya easily dodges with a sidestep.

"Your ice is slowing down too, Todoroki."

"Tch!"

Frustrated, he raises his arms up to block another punch from the curly teen's fist, which skids him back another couple meters. 'He's right, I'm starting to slow down…' The right half of his body is already half-encased in frost, his breathes are now in icy mists, and his limps is starting to feel sluggish and heavy.

He didn't have long before frostbite kicks in.

'If that's the case…!'

He fires another line of ice towards his opponent, Midoriya dodging it as expected. And then he keeps on firing and firing, line after line of ice flows out of his foot towards his opponents at seemingly random patterns and directions.

"What's this? It seems like Todoroki is just firing at random?"

Midoriya wasn't sure what is going on. Why is Todoroki just firing his ice powers so haphazardly? At first, he thought it might be desperation; but despite the randomizing attack, there's still a sense of direction in which he's firing his ice. This has to be something else.

Then he realized. 'He's pushing me back!' He glanced back to notice the edge of the ring getting closer with each attack. 'Not only that…' A quick look around is enough to see that his opponent has not just pushed him back, but cornered him with no place to run.

"Oh my! Todoroki has trapped Midoriya at the edge of the ring! What a crafty fellow!"

"A little too late." Todoroki confirmed his theory as he unleashed a full barrage of ice towards the curly haired teen with the very intention of either freezing him in place or pushing him out. Or…

Midoriya quickly reaches out his hand and charge up One-For-All into his ring finger, and then unleashing another powerful finger flick that broke through the ice attack coming towards him along with a few of the frozen barriers around him, while breaking another of his fingers yet again.

"Sadly, it didn't work! What a shame!"

'This is bad…' The two-toned teen panting out cold mists, the frost is coming up to his face, his limps are now starting to get very numb, 'And I'm almost at my limit… But Midoriya…' He saw the puddle of blood on the ground, the water of life dripping from his opponent's heavily damaged hand, 'I doubt he can still carry on in that state…'

'Only one finger left…' Midoriya thought as he hisses from the excruciating pain from having three of his fingers broken and bloodied, 'I can hardly make a fist now…!'

'Even so…'

To the two-toned teen shock, Midoriya invokes Full Cowl once more while clenches his wrecked fist, blood spurting and running down his arm, 'I can't stop now!'

Todoroki wasn't sure what to make of the scene in front of him. Most of his fingers are broken, his arm is wrecked, he is losing a lot of blood, and yet he still stands and fight? How can someone be so driven, so determined that he is willing to go this far to succeed!?

"Why…?" He mutters as he watches the curly haired teen rushes towards him, "Why are you going this far!?"

"Because I want to meet everyone's expectations!" Midoriya shouted as he lands a punch into his opponent's gut hard, sending Todoroki skidding back from the hit, "A smiling… dependable… cool Hero…! That's what I want to be!"

'Just… for that…?'

"I wouldn't say I know about your circumstances, or your motives…!" He continues as he rushes at him again. The two-toned teen quickly raises his arms up to block a flying kick which sends him skidding back some more, "But if you become the number one without giving it your all… then I don't think you're serious about denying him everything!"

"S-Shut up…" He stutters out, the cold is starting to get to him.

"That's why… I have to win!" Midoriya reels back his fist, slamming a hook into his opponent, "To surpass you!" and knocking him off his feet and to the ground for the second time in this entire match.

As he slowly gets back up, Todoroki's mind flashes through his harsh childhood; of his father brutal parenting, his daily torturous training regiment, his mother slowly decaying mental state, his envy of his older siblings, to the eventual incident that all his hatred towards his parent stems from.

"I… will show my father… that I don't need him… his power… his teachings…" He grunts out in agony, he already feeling some level of frostbite kicking in, "To… reject him–"

"YOUR POWER IS YOUR OWN!"

The curly teen's interruption stopped his tirade, "Your powers… your fire and ice… They are all yours! Not your father's, not your mother's…"

"They are Todoroki Shoto's quirk!"

That last sentence unlocked a certain memory, the few gentle words that his mother has left him so long ago, buried in all his hateful memories of his past is this small glimmer of hope, of light.

" _You're not bound by his blood. You decide who you want to become."_

'When did I forget…? When did I…?'

And from that light, a blazing inferno erupted.

* * *

"W-What's this!?"

The heat from the fire reached all the way to the stands, I raised my arms in an attempt block out the hot air blasting into my face.

"He used it…!" I hear Iida muttered out as everyone is also looking in shock at what just happened.

"His left side…" I finished for him, a grin slowly forming on my face. This is it, the scene that I know so well. The part where Todoroki starts to fully accept himself, his powers, and everything that came along with it. And with this, the birth of the Hero Todoroki Shoto would one day be.

Even though I knew that this day would come to pass, that still doesn't stop my emotions surging from witnessing it first-hand.

"SHOTO!"

And that feeling is gone the moment the flaming beard douchebag screams out his 'son's name, "So you finally accepted it! YES! EXCELLENT! It all starts now for you! With my blood pumping through your veins, you will surpass me! YOU WILL FULFILL MY AMBITIONS!"

"…A sudden pep talk from Endeavor, huh? What a doting parent."

"Took the words right out of my mouth…"

"Hm? Did you say something, Genko-chan?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

* * *

"Hot, hot…!" Midoriya grunted as he felt the heatwave coming from his opponent.

"I thought you wanted to win?" His opponent asked with a click of his tongue, "So why are you trying to inspire me? Which one of us isn't taking this seriously?"

"But…"

As his ice melted, and his flames rages on, Todoroki Shoto stood firm in front of him, "I want to be a Hero too, you know."

With the image of him releasing his quirk's great flames and thawing him out of his own ice, Midoriya could only crack a smile. This is it; this is what he wanted.

It didn't sink it at first when Todoroki told him his backstory and his reasons for declaring war against him, but after encountering Endeavor and hearing him talk about his own son like that? Everything became clear to him, and he knows what he has to do, for the sake of his classmate.

If he can't save his own classmate from his own self-destruction, then he can't become the world greatest Hero, it's not what Heroes do!

As such, he'll save him. Even if I mean letting All Might down, even if it means he would be giving one of the few chances he has to attract the attention of the Pro Heroes watching, he'll save Todoroki Shoto from himself and his past.

"Incredible…"

"What are you smiling about?" Todoroki asked, bringing him back into the fight, "With those wounds and this situation, you must be crazy to even do that."

'He's right.' The curly haired teen mentally notes the pain of his fingers and his one broken arm. He is in a very bad spot right now, especially now that his opponent is not fighting not only at a 100%, but the side effect of his ice powers is melting away under his flames. There's no way he could win this at all.

Even so…

'I won't back down!' With that last train of thought, he fires up Full Cowl ready to dive back into the fray.

"I see…" Todoroki gritted his teeth, well aware of the Midoriya's resolution and determination, "Then… don't blame me for what happen next!"

With that, he unleashes his ice straight at his opponent, its speed back to its fullest capacity as a literal ice pillar flung towards him.

Midoriya responded in kind, "Up the percentage… 4… 5 percent…!" He activates Full Cowl to his utmost fullest and dashes towards the pillar of ice, and manages to leap up to the edge of the ice attack as it came close to him. Nearly skidding on the slippery surface, he dashes full force across the ice pillar towards his opponent, his only working arm pulled back ready to strike.

"Midoriya…"

As he saw the two-toned teen raises his flaming arm, Midoriya deactivates Full Cowl for a full powered One-For-All kick from his leg, sending him flying forward at speed in exchange for his leg. He then channels all that energy into his remaining arm and clenches his fist ready to counter.

"Thank you."

And with that, Todoroki unleashes his flames at him just as Midoriya counters with a full force Detroit Smash punch.

* * *

The moment the shockwave of the two teens' attacks hitting each other hits me, I was pushed into the chair with such a force that nearly flung me over.

Despite knowing the end result of the situation, it did not prepare me for this at all. Hell, my ears are ringing from the explosion that occurs on the time of impact! Todoroki is definitely one powerful teen with his nearly broken quirk! Son of Endeavor or not, he is going to be one heck of a Hero in the future!

"What… is up with your class, Aizawa?"

"All the chilled air was heated in an instant, making it expand and thus the explosion."

Wow, Aizawa isn't fazed by this at all. Or he is just masking it so well that we don't notice it? Eh, who knows? He's the Batman of this universe for a reason, after all.

"A-Anyways! What a blast! And what heat! Can't see a thing through all that smoke! Has the match been decided?"

And not a moment later, as the smoke cleared, it is obvious who won the match in the end.

Midoriya is slumped over on the stadium's walls, both arms bloodied and broken before collapsing to the ground with a loud thud. And on the other side, Todoroki stood there panting with a good chunk of his gym jersey burnt to cinders and soot but is still in the arena if barely by where he is standing and the amount of ice around and behind him.

"Midoriya… is out-of-bounds!" Midnight suddenly announces for us waving her whip at the victor, "Todoroki Shoto moves to the third round!"

"And the match is now over!" Prescent Mic announces to the world as medical robots like the ones that took Kaminari in my match rolled up towards the loser, "And what a match it was! I was at the edge of my seat the whole time! Don't you agree, Eraserhead?"

"Just get on with it."

"Okay, sleepy prince! Looks like the next match would have to be put on hold to fix up the ring again, so there will be a short break for everyone! I know I need one!"

Looks like there would be time before my match against Iida. Good thing, too, as I kind of want to check up on Midoriya myself. Both to see how bad his injuries are, and to kind of ease my worries a little. Got to admit, that little cinnamon roll has a way of making you want to care for him.

"I'm going to check on Midoriya-san." I stated as I got off my seat, "Anyone coming?"

"Oh, I'll come too!" Uraraka said as she waves her hands.

"Me too." Tsuyu nodded, "I'm kind of worried for him."

"Then let us depart at once!" Iida shouted, already making his way to the exit.

On the way out, I turned to the almost confused but fuming blonde delinquent, "Want me to pass a message for you?"

"Go fuck yourself!"

"Alright, I'll tell him that."

I left Bakugou shouting out curses as I followed the three of them out of our class's booth.

* * *

When we made it to the medical ward, Uraraka is the one to slam the door open and enter first, "Deku-kun!"

As the rest of us filter in, after taking a glance at the shriveled All Might who is trying to make himself scarce and not draw attention to himself despite the gravity girl's greetings, I took a good look at the injuries that our curly haired cinnamon bun has been inflicted with.

His arms are obviously in casts, with how that last attack has occurred and when he countered that glacier move of Todoroki's. His left leg is held in place with supports and is in a cast as well, no doubt from that last attack as well. Overall, he looks like he has just tussled with Hulk and barely survived. Wait, that's a bad example…

"Guys…? B-But… what about the next match…?"

"The arena is mostly destroyed, so there's a short break while it is being repaired." Iida helpfully informs him.

"We were worried about you, so we came." Uraraka chimed in, "Are you alright?"

"It's a shame that you lost the match." Tsuyu noted, "But you did great out there."

"You look like a mess." I pointed out before turning to Recovery Girl, "His arms are going to be okay, right? No permanent disability?"

"You can ask all of that and more later!" The old lady tells us, "It's fine to worry, but he's about to go under surgery, so get out!"

"SURGERY!?"

I may have screamed along with the rest of them, even though I know it might not be as bad as it sounds. But the reason he has to undergo surgery in canon was that he broke his already broken fingers, and this time it doesn't seem to the case so he might get to keep his healthy right hand.

That doesn't stop me from worrying, though.

"Relax! It's not that bad!" Recovery girl stated as she pushes us out of the ward, "Just come back later! You can worry about him after I'm done!"

With those last few words, we are kicked out of the medical ward as the door slams close in front of us.

"Deku-kun… is going to be okay, right?" Uraraka asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine!" Iida assures her with enthusiastic waving of his arms, "Recovery Girl will fix him up, no problem!"

"And besides, it's just his arms that are broken." I pointed out, "He'll be in a cast for a few weeks, but other then that, he'll be right as rain!"

"Speak from experience, Genko-chan?" Tsuyu asked.

"Yup! Broke my arm from attempting a flying kick!" I chuckled at the memory. I tried to do a rider kick back in elementary school in hopes of using it as special attack in my future Hero career and to show off to Taikou. Haha, mom and dad were so mad at me that day…

"Genko!"

And just as I was thinking about that, Taikou runs up from the corridor with Shinsou following close behind.

"How is he?" He asked me.

"He's undergoing surgery as we speak." I informed him, and hastily added on when he starts to freak out, "Relax! He just has broken arms! He'll be fine!"

"O-Oh, is that right…?" My childhood friend sighs, "That's a relief."

"I told you he'll be fine." Shinsou tells him.

"You panicked too, jackass!"

"Any case, with that out of the way, the break time is almost over."

Tsuyu thought for a moment, "If my memory is correct, the next match should be…"

Me and Iida turned to face each other, the class president adjusts his glasses that light gleams off one of the lenses anime-style, "I'm not going to hold back, Tatsuya-san."

"Me neither." I nodded as I raise my hand up to him, "May the best speedster win."

He nodded back, grasping my hand tightly before giving it a firm shake, "Like wise."

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

This story takes place five years ago.

"Rider kick?" Taikou asked Genko curiously, the both of them on their way back home from school, "What's that?"

"It's a finishing move from an old hero show!" His friend tells him excitedly, "The hero jumps into the air, and then delivers a kick into his opponent that causes him to explode!"

"Wow! That sounds so cool!"

"I know, right!? I'm thinking of using it as my special move when I became a Hero!"

"But you can't make someone explode." Taikou points out, "Your quirk does not do that."

"I just have to jump from a really high place, and it'll happen!" Genko stated, just as they passed by their neighborhood's playground, "Here! I'll show you!"

After tossing her backpack on the ground, she made it to the jungle gym and climbed to the very top.

"G-Genko, I don't think that's safe." Her friend informs her.

"I'll be fine!" She assures him, "Okay, ready? Watch this!"

With that, she jumps off the metal bar, "Rider Kick!" As she struck out a kick in the air, she falls and her arm slams onto the ground with a loud crack, "AARRRGGGHHHHHH!"

"AH! Genko!"

"MY ARM! IT HURTS!"

"AHH! SOMEONE! SOMEONE HELP!"

An ambulance is called a short while later, and Genko got the scolding of the lifetime.

* * *

 **This fight is something I both anticipated, and dreaded. For this fight, this single fight is something I do not want to mess up at all.**

 **So, what do you guys think? Like it, or hate it?**

 **Regardless of what, I have a blast writing this out. It is tricky to think of how this fight is changed in accordance to the changes to certain characters, most notably Midoriya.**

 **With Full Cowl unlocked early, Midoriya would have a better time in this fight without breaking most of his fingers to counter Todoroki's ice. And let Todoroki be a bit of a tactical fighter instead of blasting everything with ice till it works.**

 **And the additional dialogue…**

 **Not going to lie, their little back and forth in the manga and anime is lacking in some compartments, like the famous part in which Midoriya just screams "It's your own power!" is lacking so I extended it a bit. As well as the part where he is taunting Todoroki to give it his all, I added a few lines here and there so it flows a little better.**

 **And any rate, the next chapter is going to be one heck of a chapter.**

 **Speedster versus speedster, can't wait how this is going to play out.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Sport Festival: Tournament, Part Four**

* * *

I let loose a grunt as I stretches out my back, the satisfying sounding cracks is music to my ears. Okay, it's time. Keep your focus, Genko…

"Welcome back, my beloved audiences!" Prescent Mic shouted out over the speakers, "It has taken a while, but we are finally ready to continue with our quarter-finals! I hope you are prepared not to blink for a while! You might miss the whole match if you do!"

"Neither of them is _that_ fast–"

It's time for the second match of the quarter finals to begin! Are you excited, Ladies and Gentlemen!?"

I let loose a nervous chuckle as the entire arena vibrated with cheers from everyone in their seats. "Present Mic-sensei really knows how to hype up a crowd…"

"Heroes' jobs also included raising morale." Iida stated, pushing his glasses up, "It's only natural that Present Mic-sensei is so great with it."

Although his co-host isn't that interested in it… Well, every Hero has something they are better at than others…

"She's as quick as the wind, strike hard like lightning! She is the queen and future empress of speed itself, it's Tatsuya Genko!" I scratch my cheek as I feel my blood rushes into them. I'm not sure I'm supposed to be flattered or embarrassed at his description at all. "Versus! He is the straight-laced class president on jets! The second son of the prestigious Iida family, younger brother and future holder of the title Ingenium, it's Iida Tenya!"

"…Tatsuya-san." The glasses-wearing class got into a running stance, "I know I'm repeating myself, but I'll be coming at you with all I've got. I expect you to do the same."

"No need to tell me that." I assures him as I got into a ready stance too, a button battery already inside my clenched fist charging me up, "I won't hold back, either."

"It's a match of unrelentless speed! They are the fastest people in the block, the rulers of speed themselves! Only one shall earn the title of the true ruler of speed today! Ready…"

I saw his calf engines already firing up. Iida's Engine quirk definitely is worth noting in the speed department, especially compared to mine. He overall mobility is very limited compared to mine due to being based more on propulsion, but maybe because of that he has an upper hand in the power and strength department

If I were to make a comparison between the two of us, it would be a Nazca race car to a racing motorbike. One may run circles around the other, but if the car crashes into the bike, usually the larger vehicle wins out.

Not only that, mine has a set time limit especially with how much charge I am able to maintain through the whole match. If I used up too much charge at the start, I would be a sitting duck for him to take out.

If I'm to win this, immobilizing him might be the best move out there. But considering the fact that he is taller than me and is build like a tank, not to mention grappling techniques are my weakest assets, I find that option highly unlikely. As such, there's only one option left for me to do.

"START!"

Once the signal start, I speed forward towards my opponent. If I can't pin him down, I have to push him out or knock him out. Preferably, I hope for the former.

Apparently, Iida has a similar idea, as he too ran towards me at full speed with a turbo charged kick coming straight towards me.

I quickly duck down as the kick went through above my head and speeds away from him. I slowed down a little as I swerved around and skids to a stop, just as Iida did the same, before blasting his engines and dashes towards me at full force. As he got close, I make a run for it and speeds away. He then made the obvious decision and speeds after me.

Maintaining the distance between us is my best option right now, even if it's going to look stupid to everyone. I hope this doesn't lower Ingenium's view of me…

"And it's a high-speed chase, folks! It's lightning speed versus turbo power!"

I have to conserve the energy I have right now. I doubt Iida would give me an opportunity to recharge myself, given how big of an advantage he has if I don't.

As I zips around the arena, making sure not to go too fast as to deplete my energy reserves too quickly and not slow enough so that Iida would catch up, I notices that he has trouble steering himself every time I made a sharp turn. Now that I think about it, he has shown trouble steering himself around tight corners during our Heroics practical lessons.

I could use this to my advantage.

With that in mind, I dashes towards the edge of the ring, making sure to curve my trajectory so not to give my plans away. Sure enough, Iida followed suit, engines running at full power as always.

Once I'm close enough, I quickly made a sharp swerve around, before dashing past Iida at my top speed in hopes in disorienting him so that he would not see the edge until it is too late. I skids to a stop a good distance away, having use up all my energy before giving him a small salute, "See ya!"

So far, my plan works as intended, with Iida still keeping his momentum and is on his way out of the ring with no possible way of curving back on time.

But then, he did something I did not think he is capable of doing.

He suddenly hops up and _spun_ using his exhaust on one of his leg to propel him around, sticks to the landing as his two feet skidding on the concrete before his exhaust pipes blasts out and slows down his momentum to a stop, right at the edge of the ring.

"OHH! Close! Too close! He nearly got a Ring Out but Iida manages to save himself in the end!"

"I have failed to count how many times I have slammed into my home's wall while working with my quirk." Iida tells me adjusting his glasses so that one lens reflected some light, "It's only natural that I've found some way to stop that from happening."

"Oh, you got to be kidding me…" I muttered out as I dug into my pocket for a battery.

"I'm not going to let you! RECIPRO BURST!"

"Recipro what–!?"

With that cry, his engines _roars_ as he dashes towards me at speeds that I didn't think was possible for him.

In one second, a rocket powered kick flew towards my head. I was only able to dodge his attack when my reflexes kick in and I duck down just his leg flew past my hair.

In another second, another kick comes and I wasn't able to dodge this one and manages to put up a defense with my arms when the attack hits, sending me flying across the ring. I tumble about on the ring, before I manages to right myself in the end, skidding to a stop very close to the ring's edge.

"Very close! So very close! Another almost Ring Out from Tatsuya!"

"Now, you're just repeating yourself..."

"That was _way_ too close…" I muttered to myself, feeling the soreness of the bruise forming on my forearm from his attack

I can't believe I've forgotten about this! He has a super move that dials his speed up by eleven for ten seconds before engine failure, like the Nitro move from that one racing game.

My fist clenches around the battery I was able to fish out from my pocket the moment his kick landed, my charge refilling as Iida charges towards me at full throttle, launching another rocket-propelled kick towards me.

This time, however, I'm ready as I can be as I immediately shoots towards him at my max speed. His widening eyes says to me that he didn't expect such a response from me, which works in my favor.

Once I'm close enough, I slams my fist into his gut hard, his body arcs around as he lets out a gasp of pain. I speeds away, building some distance between us before I skids to a stop. I then speeds back at max speed, using the remaining energy I absorbed in one last burst.

Just as Iida turns around to face me, I leap forward and slams both feet into him, knocking him back at full force. All that momentum I has built up transferred into him, sending him flying and tumbling out of the ring.

"Iida, Ring Out!" Midnight calls out, "Match goes to Tatsuya!"

"And it is over! And we have our crowned ruler of speed today, folks! It's Class A's Tatsuya Genko! She is speeding right to the top!"

I quickly ran off arena towards my opponent, just as Iida slowly sat up with his hand over his stomach. "You okay?"

"I'm… I'm fine…" He panted, letting out a small hiss as he felt his stomach, "A few bruises here, but I'm fine."

"…Need a hand?"

I reached out a hand for him, he grasps it tightly as I pull him to his feet.

"It was a good match." He tells me, shaking my hand, "I've expected no less from you."

"Same here. You are amazing too." I replied back, "When you did that Recipro Burst thing, I thought I was going to lose for sure. Your kicks hit like a truck."

"I'm very glad to hear that! Although that trick you did in the beginning is pretty clever!"

"Thanks! Though your reaction to it is so surprising!"

"Okay, okay, you can talk about your match after you left the ring." Cemetoss's voice tells us, the concrete-bodied Hero nodding with a knowing grin. And I think I saw Midnight looking on with a small blush with a small wink at me, much to my embarrassment.

We both let out a small chuckle as we exited the stadium via the corridor, Present Mic speaking about sportsmanship fading into the background.

"…Congratulations, Tatsuya-san." Iida suddenly stated with a smile.

"…Thanks." I nodded, before rubbing the back of my neck with a nervous chuckle, "Sorry for ruining your chances…"

"It's no big deal!" He assures me with several waving of his hands, "The Sport Festival is all about showing our best to the Pros in the audiences! And our match definitely makes up for my…" He visibly cringed at that, "…less than spectacular match in the qualifiers."

"That's one way to look at things, I guess." I noted with a nod, "But still, it was truly a great match! I'm sure your brother would be proud of it!"

"That I am."

We both stopped when we heard that familiar voice, as we saw Ingenium walking towards us with his helmet under his arm and a smile on his face.

"Ingenium-san? What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I wanted to come congratulate you guys myself before I leave." He tells him as he turns to his brother, "You did an amazing job out there, Tenya! I'm proud of you!"

"Thank you for the praise, brother!" Iida stated with a waving salute.

"Seriously, are you part robotic now?" He chuckles at his brother antics, before turning to me, "And congrats on winning, Tatsuya Genko."

"Eh? A-Ah! N-No problem!" I let out a nervous laugh at his words, "T-Thank you…"

"No need to be so nervous!" He laughed at my words, patting me on my shoulder which did little to relive the tension.

"Are you leaving now, brother?" Iida asks his brother.

"Yeah, the agency called and need me back in Hosu right away."

"Did something happen?" I asked worriedly. At this point in time, Stain must still be in Hosu City… if I remember right, Ingenium got attacked when the first semi-final match is going on. If my math is right, which it is most of the time, there's still a good while till it happens.

If Ingenium leave now to Hosu, the attack might happen…

"It's nothing to worry about." He assures me, "Just focus on the semi-finals. You'll be up against Endeavor's son, after all."

I felt a chill travelling down my spine at that revelation. Ah, right. I have to fight Todoroki next… the guy who can create a giant glacier at will… oh boy, that is going to be a tough match…

"R…Right…"

"Relax! You'll do fine!" He stated with a pat on my back, before walking off, "I have to go now. I'll be looking forward to seeing the recordings later!"

"Safe journeys, brother!" Iida calls out with an energetic wave of his arm as his brother disappear behind the corner.

Ingenium would be fine… there's no way he'll just get attacked from arriving at Hosu City, would he?

* * *

When we made it back to the stands, we were bombarded by our classmates who congratulated me on my win as well as praising Iida for his hard work out there. A quick look around is enough to see that Midoriya is still not back yet, meaning that he is probably still on the surgery board.

After that, I sat down in my usual seat and waits the next match to start, which didn't take too long.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to our third match of our quarter-finals! I'm going to tell that this is going to be quite an exciting one too!" Present Mic shouted over the speakers; the audience's cheering getting louder with every word.

"It's going to be Tokoyami up against that Taikou guy from Class 1-B, right?" Hagakure asked, "I can't tell who's going to win this one. Both of them are pretty strong, especially Tokoyami."

"Yeah, Tokoyami's quirk is super powerful." Jirou nodded, "He took out Mina-chan almost immediately once the match begins."

"Dark Shadow's speed and strength is definitely something to look out for." Tsuyu noted, "But Taikou-kun isn't lacking that department either."

"Yeah, Taikou with his flames are pretty fast too." Kirishima stated, "And he can fly too. Though that isn't an issue with Dark Shadow, either."

"Guess we just have to watch to find out." Uraraka stated.

"Burning hot passion, and equally hot feet! He's the hot-blooded man that has _blazed_ through his previous match without any effort! It's Naru Taikou!"

"You just want to make that pun, didn't you?"

"VERSUS! So dark and so COOL! His mannerism is nothing but chilling, it's Tokoyami Fumikage!"

"Win this, Taikou!" I heard Tetsutetsu shouted from the 1-B's booth, "Beat that birdhead and show them what Class 1-B can do!"

Well, since he is doing it too…

"Show him hell, Taikou! Oh, and you too, Tokoyami!"

"Why is Tokoyami an afterthought!?" Sero shouted from behind me.

* * *

'I'm kind of regretting reading that old manga Genko showed me…' Taikou thought as he watches his opponent releases his sentient quirk, the shadowy bird-like figure hovering around him with large claws ready to strike, 'Now I can't stop seeing that as a Stand…'

Despite his somewhat careless thoughts, he kept his guard up and prepared for an attack the moment the announcer gave the green light. He has seen Dark Shadow in action, and he saw how powerful it can be. It has reach, not to mention how fast the thing can go and how powerful its strikes can get.

'To beat him, I have strike Tokoyami directly. Dark Shadow may be fast, I have dealt with faster.'

Unbeknownst to him, the bird-headed student is thinking something similar.

'This guy's quirk is no joke.' Tokoyami thought, 'His flames are Dark Shadow's biggest weakness, and he is as fast as Iida. Add his flight and I'm in a tough spot. I need to finish this as fast as I can before he catches on.'

"Who would come up on top!? I'm excited to find out! Ready…"

Taikou ignites his flames in preparation to fight. Meanwhile, Dark Shadow coils around his owner, ready to launch himself towards his target on command.

"START!"

"Dark Shadow!"

" _ **You got it, boss!"**_

The dark being flew straight towards Taikou, claws ready to grab and toss him out. The brown-haired teen easily jumped into the air; feet ablaze as he flew up to avoid the attack. A quick swerve around in the air, and Taikou is blazing towards his opponent with a flying kick.

Dark Shadow is able to swoop in and block the attack, but let out a small shriek in pain, much to Taikou's surprise.

'Is it… in pain…?'

"Dark Shadow!"

By command, the shadowy being raises his claw and slams it into his attacker's gut, pushing him off him as Taikou somersault in the air before nailing a three-point-landing.

"An explosive exchange right at the start! Taikou's blazing charge didn't work as well as last time!"

'What was that just now?' Taikou thought in surprise, 'Did that dark shadow thing got hurt from my attack? Why? Is that something I did differently than previously?'

"Are you alright, Dark Shadow?" Tokoyami asked his quirk.

" **Y-Yeah… Got caught off guard, is all."**

'Dark Shadow… shadow…' Taikou ponders for a moment, before realizing, "Shadow…! Could it be…!"

"Once more, Dark Shadow!" The bird-headed teen commanded, "Take him out, quickly!"

" **On the double!"** With that proclamation, the shadowy beast charges towards his target at full speed, claws ready to either smack him about or knock him out of the ring.

But instead of moving to avoid it, the moment he came close, Taikou decides to just ignites his feet and unleashes a huge blaze of fire around him. Dark Shadow immediately shrieks in pain, getting too close to the flames for his liking.

"I knew it!" Taikou chuckles, "It's light. You're quirk's weak against any bright light!"

"C-Crap!" Tokoyami flinches from having his crucial weakness exposed, Dark Shadow circumvent back around him with a teary expression on his face.

"If that's case…" The brown-haired teen blasts out his flames at full force, "My next course of action is obvious!"

He rockets towards Tokoyami once more, throwing another flying kick at him. Dark Shadow quickly circles around him and went to intercept the attack. The flaming kick hits the dark being, he letting out a shriek in pain.

"Here's some more!"

Taikou unleashes a barrage of flaming kicks at him, each time Dark Shadow move to intercept the attack which all leads to the same result every time. And with each hit, the dark being started to shrink down bit by bit as well.

"Taikou is on a blazing offensive! His attacks _blazing_ away with such ferocity!"

"Are you seriously using that pun for the entire match…?"

At the end of his barrage, he unleashes one last strong sweep kick towards which blasts out a large flame as big as a person, which ended up blasting away Dark Shadow to the point that it is too small to be a real threat to him, leaving Tokoyami wide opened.

The bird-headed teen attempt to defend himself, crossing his arms in time to block a flaming spinning back kick that both slightly burns his forearm while sending him flying back and tumbling on the ground. He stopped near the edge of the ring, getting back up as Dark Shadow circumvents around him once more, only for Taikou to come rocketing in with another flying kick towards him.

This time, Dark Shadow isn't big enough to even block or counter it, leaving Tokoyami to receive the attack to his chest, which sends him out of the ring and crashing onto the ground after the stairs.

"Tokoyami, Ring out!" Midnight announces with a crack of her whip, "Match goes to Naru!"

"And it's finally over! Naru Taikou would continue on with his blaze of glory towards the semi-finals!"

"Please… just stop…"

Taikou slowly walks up to his opponent, reaching out his hand to him, "Need some help?"

"Much appreciated." Tokoyami gladly accepted his hand and got pulled up to his feet, "It was a great match."

"Thanks." He nodded, "How's your quirk? I hope I wasn't too rough with him."

"He'll be fine." The bird-headed teen assures him, "He just time to recover his strength. I didn't think you'll figure out his weakness so quickly."

"With that shriek, anyone could piece it together if they think hard enough."

"That is true…"

* * *

"Oh man, Tokoyami lost!" Mina whined, "Even though his quirk is so damn strong!"

"I was sure that Tokoyami could win this." Sero noted, "Guess I thought wrong."

"He's not as invincible as we thought, huh?" Kaminari added.

"Weakness against light, huh?" Kirishima noted, "That's pretty bad match-up, especially with someone like Taikou."

"Tokoyami-kun has the disadvantage from the beginning." Tsuyu stated.

"That Taikou guy is pretty amazing, isn't he?" Uraraka noted.

"He is." I nodded with a smile, "Taikou is one of the toughest guys I know!"

"Fuck yeah, Taikou!" Tetsutetsu shouted from Class 1-B's booth, "Way to show him whose boss!"

"Hey man, watch it!" One of Class 1-B's students cried out, "You nearly hit me in the head!"

"Ah! Sorry about that…"

"Hey, hey~"

We all looked to the side, as expected is Monoma is once again hanging over the ledge with a smug look on his face, "Isn't funny? Isn't that guy one of your strongest? And yet he got defeated so easily? How's is that possible? Isn't Class 1-A supposed to be the best of our year–"

"And enough out of you."

Their class president proceeds to chop him on the back of the neck again, before pulling him back down with an apology echoing afterwards.

"…He really has nothing better to do, huh?" Hagakure stated in either awe, or annoyance if her tone is to be indicated.

"He's definitely committed to it; I give him that much." Jirou pointed out.

The next match with Ojiro and Bakugou went… well, let's just say it went as well as anyone fighting the explosive teen one-on-one can go. A lot of explosions with Ojiro's swift defeat minutes after the match started, which solidify Bakugou as Taikou's opponent in the semi-finals.

He is definitely going to have a field day with that one.

Although, the tailed teen has put up quite a fight against Bakugou, using his nimble ways and martial prowess to outmaneuver him several times and almost scoring a good couple of hits in before being overpowered by sheer ferocity.

Once all has been that's said and done, next up is the semi-finals that Present Mic is hyping everyone up for some reason.

And first up would be me against the glacier maker himself, Todoroki.

I'm so not looking forward to this…

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

"So, what do you think?"

Taikou looked up from the book at his childhood friend's question, her eyes shimmering with expectation of his opinion on what she quoted as [One of the greatest pieces of old pop culture literature ever conceived].

"To be honest…"

"Yeah…?"

"I do find it an interesting read…" He started, her friend nodding at the sentiment, "I don't really see how this is any good. I mean, the whole muscular men posing is weird enough already, but then it added in vampires, sun energy through _breathing_ , psychic powers in the shape of more posing muscular men, and you get one heck of a weird book that is just weird for the sake of being weird."

"And that's the beauty of it!" Genko stated happily, "It's so weird that it is own brand of weirdness! No one has ever topped that!"

"But still, the book isn't that good."

"Yeah, that much I agree on. I liked it mostly for the memes."

"Memes?"

And that is when Taikou got introduced to the old internet world of JoJo memes, and his life has never been same again.

* * *

 **Hey there, everyone. Sorry for taking so long to finish this! This month has been one wild rollercoaster ride, with great things balanced out with horrible tragedies that took the month by storm.**

 **But before all of that, let's all give a prayer to the great tragedy that could befall on the anime industry, the fire of Kyoto Animation.**

 **It is hard to put into words the emotions I had when I heard the news of the fire. Truly, it is a dark time for the art of animation, and the lost of Kyoto Animation in the animation industry would definitely be one that will be felt across the globe.**

 **A great studio that has some of the greatest artists, animators, editors and directors, Kyoto Animations has been one of the few anime studios that are known for their excellence in the art form, producing many great works over the years since its establishments.**

 **Not only that, their anime has touched countless people across the globe, with great stories match with brilliant camera works, art and animation, and excellent music and sound design in this industry that I'm hard-pressed to find nowadays!**

 **Heck, a lot of my favourite series are made by them! Violet Evergarden and Kyoukai no Kanta to name a few!**

 **If any of you have money to spare, please help donate to them on GoFundme. Even if you can't donate, help spread the word as far as anyone can! A little bit help!**

 **Okay, that's all the bad stuff out of the way.**

 **Again, I'm sorry for taking so long. I've stuck on a writer's block about Genko's fight with Iida and couldn't even start on it.**

 **I've also been distracted by all the anime that released this season, with several having caught my attention since they are announced. And boy, are they amazing. Dr. Stone, Danmachi season 2, Astra Lost in Space, Fire Force, Vinland Saga to name a few!**

 **The Isekai anime for this season on the other hand… a few are a bit too out there for my interest with the rest either too generic or is plain out bad. Better luck next time, I guess.**

 **But boy, this chapter is a dozy. I sure hope I captured Iida's and Tokoyami's personality well enough. The last thing I need is to accidentally wrote them OOC. Also, I'm sure everyone who is a fan of Jojo has thought of Dark Shadow as a Stand at one point or another.**

 **Although, I sure hope people don't find my two OCs too OP or too mary-sue… I really don't want to accidentally write them into one…**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Sport Festival: Tournament, Semi-Finals**

* * *

"Thank you for the wait, my wonderful listeners!"

Present Mic's announcement filled the stadium, the crowd cheered at the end of the short ten-minute break and the start of the tournament's semi-finals. Tension is thick in the air as everyone waited anxiously with baited breathes, both in the stadium and in the comforts of their own home.

"This is it! We are starting up the Semi-Finals! I hope you are pumped for more action, for these contestants are sure to blow you away!" As he said that, the screen shows them the last four contestants in the fight. For the left, it is Todoroki Shoto, Tatsuya Genko, Naru Taikou, and Bakugou Katsuki.

"And without further ado, let's introduce our first match-up!"

* * *

"Both of them are children of great Heroes, one of fire and the other of speed! It's match-up between future hero successors! Todoroki Shoto VERSUS Tatsuya Genko!"

I let loose a shaky breath as I tries to steal my nerves. Standing in the ring at the _semi-finals_ no less. Looking back, I was lucky with my first match-up against Kaminari. And for my next match against Iida, it took all I've got to beat him. It was honestly surprising that I've even made it to the semi-finals in the first place.

But now, I feared that this might be where I'll lose…

For in front of me, facing me as my next opponent, and might be my last opponent in this entire tournament, is the son of Endeavor himself, Todoroki.

Todoroki, in my opinion, has one of the most broken quirks in all of BNHA. His ice attacks are relentless, a force of nature if he pushes it to its upmost limit with his glacier forming attacks. Not only that, even if I got close to him, there's still a chance for him to freeze me in place, rendering my quirk absolutely useless.

Although… if what I've learn during the Obstacle Race is right, then there are ways for me to break out of his ice. But using such a method is draining on my energy, even if I charged myself to the max.

All on all, the entire match is all in his favor. I might never stand a chance against him.

But even so…

"Ready…!"

I grasps the last few batteries I pulled from my pocket and starts charging up as fast as I could, hoping to charge up to my maximum limit before the match begins. I took a deep breath and focused forward.

Even if the odds are against me, I'll do my best and push through! That's what being Plus Ultra means, right!?

"START!"

The moment the signal is sounded, Todoroki immediately fires off an ice attack straight at me, ice crystals sliding the gliding on the ground towards me at high speeds.

I immediately dodge to my right to avoid it before running at my top speed towards him, accelerating to my fastest while raising my fist up ready to slam it into him. I may not have Midoriya's One-For-All's destructive capabilities, but at my top speed outclasses his Full Cowl by a fair margin.

If there's one edge I have against Todoroki, it would be in the speed department. It may drain my energy quickly, but against someone like Todoroki, I can't afford to conserve any. And if I remember anything about that guy, is that his melee fighting abilities are pretty dismissal if he has any at all.

It is made more apparent by my advantage in this when Todoroki's eyes widen in stunned surprise at my sudden acceleration that far surpassed my previous exploits, but his reflexes are definitely up there as he ducked down to avoid my haymaker to his face.

Skidding to the stop, I make a hasty turn around and went full speed once again towards him. He manages to turn around to face me, just as I slams a fist into his gut as I dashes into him. After stopping myself, I grab him by the collar and sleeve of his jersey, I made a hasty judo toss and throw him onto the ground.

"And down goes Todoroki! That got to sting!"

I quickly mounted him and reels back my other fist for another blow to his head to try and knock him out, only for the cracking sound of ice being made and for ice crystals quickly shoots up my arm.

"C-Crap!"

"And Todoroki immediately counters! That girl is on ice!"

"You seem to assume I'm only good firing large attacks." He stated as he got out of my grip, sliding out from under my ice encased body before getting back up, "I'm pretty capable of using it pretty delicately, you know."

"Y-Yeah, I figure…" I muttered as the freezing cold send chills down my spine.

"I thought I was ready for it, but you are definitely way faster than Midoriya was." Todoroki noted, "I couldn't even try to encase you at all… You've done well."

"T-Thanks…" I let loose a small grin, "But I'm not done yet!"

With my that declaration, I put as much power I have into vibrating as fast as I could. Soon enough, cracks form in my ice prison that spread throughout until the whole thing shatters around me.

"S-She got out! For the first time in this tournament, someone got out of Todoroki's ice! Truly incredible!"

"By vibrating at top speeds, she loosens the bonds between the ice and her body while also destabilizing the bonds within the ice. Quite a smart way of using her quirk …"

Once freed, I immediately rush at him with my fists ready for attack. If pinning him down won't work, then I'll just have to rush him and knock him out the straight forward way!

Stopping right in front of him, I let loose an uppercut to his lower jaw, which he barely dodges by bending his neck over, with my knuckles slightly grazing his chin. But I'm not done with my attacks as I quickly twist my body and let loose a hook to his head, which landed squarely on his right temple.

"G-Grgk!"

"Here's some more!"

I then lunged forward, firing another hook to his left temple. And then I fired another hook to his right. Then to his left. Then to his right.

Over and over, I twist my body left and right and slams hook after hook into his temples at both sides as fast as I can, in a somewhat rough imitation of Ippo's Dempsey Roll.

"Again, and again, and again! A vicious attack from Tatsuya! It's like I'm watching a boxing match! How long has that been on live television?"

I feel my body starting to slow down as my charge starts to fade from my body. Damn it, hurry up and black out or something! If I lose my charge before I knock him out–

"You're slowing down."

"Ah!"

I felt ice instantly start crawling out from my foot and encase my entire left leg, locking me in place. And before I can react, Todoroki's hand pressed against my solar plexus and ice spread out from it and incase the rest of my body in ice within moments.

I grimaced at my predicament, struggling and pulling myself to try and get myself free. Damn it! Out of charge! I can't break free!

"You need to use your speed to get out of my ice the first time, didn't you?" Todoroki points out, stumbling on his feet with one hand on his head. His eyes seem to be unfocused, most likely due to my constant punches to his head. I hope he doesn't get a concussion… "And now that you're out of charge, you can't do the same thing…"

"D-Damn it…!"

"T-Tatsuya is unable to continue!" Midnight calls out, "Todoroki moves on to the next round!"

"There you have it, folks! It looks like our empress of speed can't outrun our ice emperor! Class A's Todoroki proceeds on to the finals!"

I let loose a loud sigh, the feeling of irritation filled my body from head to toe. Damn it. So damn close too! But I guess Todoroki came in through recommendation for a reason… even without his fire powers, he is still way stronger than me.

Guess there's a long way for me to go before I can reach Pro Hero status…

* * *

"Oh man, I thought Tatsuya actually might win this one…!" Kirishima sighs in disbelief, "She was doing so well, too…!"

"Todoroki is just way too strong!" Satou pointed out.

"Despite being so fast, she lost once she got caught." Yaoyorozu noted, "Although that vibration trick helped… once she's out of charge, it's game over."

"Ah man! She has gotten so close, too!" Ashido stated while waving her hands in irritation.

"Genko-chan…" Tsuyu grimaced at how one-sided the match has been, "She never stood a chance."

"But he never used his fire powers again." Kaminari noted, "I wonder why?"

"Maybe he didn't want to use it against her?" Sero suggested, "I mean, it's kind of overkill if he encases her in ice and then blast her with fire."

"Okay, man, that just sounds absolutely terrifying…"

"That's messed up, Sero." Kirishima added on.

"H-Hey! I'm just suggesting it!"

"Todoroki-kun ended up in the finals after all." Uraraka stated, "And he'll up against whoever wins the next match."

"So, either Bakugou or that guy from Class B." Jirou noted.

"Kind of hard to tell who might win this one…" Ojiro stated, "They're both pretty strong, and that Taikou guy might be able to match Bakugou with his quirk."

"Hellfire versus explosions." Tokoyami stated, "A match that was meant to be."

"Bakugou is pretty scary and strong…" Hagakure stated cheerfully, "But that Class B's Naru is pretty tough, too!"

"It'll be a pretty showy performance, that's for sure." Aoyama noted.

"Well, we can only wait and see…" Yaoyorozu tells them.

* * *

I let loose a small sigh as I sat in the prep room; I have my head resting against my knuckles while my elbows are propped up on the table. Got to say, never thought that losing would hurt this much. After all that I put in, after all the effort I have made coming this far, I ended falling short.

I knew I can't possibly beat Todoroki as I am right now, but I guess somewhere along the way, a possibility of me winning just slipped into my mind. Not that it matters anyway, the results are still the same.

Oh well, either way, Todoroki still ended up in the finals as per canon. I guess I'm satisfied with at least that…

…But why does it still frustrates me so!?

The door to the prep room swings open, I looked up to see Taikou walking into the room, his eyes wide as if he didn't expect to find me here.

"Oh, Genko. You're still here."

"H-Hey, Taikou. Yup, still here…"

He props himself on the chair opposite of me before opening a bottle of water and taking huge gulps from it. The silence between us is a welcomed one, if a bit tense. His match against Bakugou is up next, isn't it? I guess he came here to hype himself up.

Actually, what would happen if Taikou is one that made it to the finals…? It wouldn't change much of the plot if he did, wouldn't it?

But still, if Bakugou isn't the one to made it to the finals and fight Todoroki, would the League of Villains still take interest in him? Besides a few times here and there, he hasn't shown any attributes that might associate that delinquent as a villainous individual, despite some people seeing him as such.

Would it better if he…

"You doing okay, Genko?"

"Huh?"

The sudden question caught me off guard, my childhood friend looking at me with a concerned look on his face. Huh, was my frustration that obvious to him?

"You seem rather…" He thinks for a while before stating, "…rather deep in thought. Is there something troubling you?"

"Huh? Oh! It's nothing!" I laughed while internally trying to get rid of any more thoughts about the subject, although the feeling of frustration still remained, "Just thinking about how my match go, you know! Man, I should've taken a different approach… maybe saved some batteries for later use…"

"You know, you don't have to hold back."

I blinked at his words, completely confused at what he meant by that, "H-Hold what back?"

"It's frustrating, I get it." He stated as he got up from his seat and come close to mine, placing a hand on my shoulder, "You don't have to bottle it up. Just, I don't know, cry it out. That seems to always make you feel better."

"I-It's not–"

His hand squeezed my shoulder, not tightly but firmly. "That's a lie and you know it."

"…"

His words seem to just loosen up something within me. I felt my feelings starting to overflow along with some of my tears, before they all came bursting out in one go. My vision blurred as I let my tears flow and sobs are allowed to escape my lips.

"I…I tried…s-so hard…!"

"I know."

"I…I thought… I h-had him too…!"

"I'm with you there."

"I…I… WAHHH!"

I let myself break down, as I hugged my best friend as he consults me the best he can. For the first time in forever, I let myself cry my heart out.

* * *

"Sorry for the wait! I hope you beautiful listeners are ready, because it's time for the next Semi-Final match to begin!"

Taikou walked into the ring with a renewed determination. After helping his childhood friend vent out his frustration, she encouraged him and asked him to win one for her. And he has every intention to do so.

After all, the one person he wants to beat in this entire tournament is the one that he has to fight against to reach the finals.

Opposite him, Bakugou Katsuki enters the ring with equal amount of ego and burning determination. His lips twist upward in a somewhat savage grin that screams arrogance, but his posture tells a different story.

While looking like he is looking down on him, the way Bakugou carries himself is nothing like what he has thought when they cross paths in the entrance exam. The arrogance is there, but now there's a underlining sense of bitter determination, a strong resolve to push on forward, as well as a small sign of wariness in him.

This isn't someone who views himself as superior. It is someone who knows he is superior and wants to prove to everyone that he is.

'It's like Midoriya-san said. This guy is more than just an egotistic asshole.'

He remembers when he asked the green-haired teen a couple of days before the Sports Festival about his childhood friend. He wanted to know why Midoriya still idolized Bakugou so much and even treats him like a friend, even though it is obvious that the blonde delinquent doesn't view him as such.

His answer surprised to him, as it is not something that he would expect from someone who is essentially a victim of bullying.

" _Kacchan is… amazing. Even when we were little, he was always the strongest one. He was always the best at everything he does, and he has a cool quirk too. He never backed down from anyone, and always wins, no matter the odds. While, it is true that he has hurt me so many times, but I couldn't find myself to hate him."_

" _If anything, I looked up to him, and wants to surpass him."_

'This guy has the intensity to be a winner…' He mentally notes as Present Mic keeps on talking in the background, 'And thinking back on the matches he has won, it was always through his own skills, tactics and abilities. His aggressive methods hid the more tactical side of him, and his ability to adapt to his situation is something I've never seen before.'

'If anything, he…'

"Come on, extra." Bakugou taunts as he slams his fist into his palm, igniting an explosion from his quirk, "I'll crush you like all the rest. This is payback for the Cavalry Battle."

"…Can you answer me something?" He asked the blonde delinquent, who only raised his eyebrows in confusion, "Midoriya. How do you view him?"

"Deku? What about him!? This ain't about that nerd! It's between us, right here, RIGHT NOW!"

"He respected you, you know!"

That got him to shut up, his eyebrow twitching at the comment. "What…?"

Taikou continues on, "Despite all you've thrown at him, despite all the hurt you have caused him, he still looks up to you! So, I want to know, what's you view on him?"

"…Him…?"

The blonde explosion-prone teen snarled at the idea, "Deku is… a nobody! You hear me!? He is nothing compared to me! He's just a pebble, a stupid pebble that should have amounted to nothing!"

"…That's all I need to know." Taikou sighs, "And for the record, Midoriya is worth way more than a pebble."

"…What…!?"

"Ready…"

Taikou simply got into position in a low stance, embers flickering off his feet as he readies his quirk for the match. Bakugou followed suit with teeth gritting against each other, arms wide and stance low, small explosions pops around his palm in preparation for his attack.

'Sorry, Midoriya. It looks I'm never going to be able to like him at all.'

* * *

After Taikou left for his match, I went to the bathroom to wash up. Crying that much is a new one for me, never cried this much even as a kid. Guess my habit of bottling up my emotions are starting to get to me…

But still, it felt good. Taikou has always been able to figure me out, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, especially now that the plot is known to me. I can't afford to drag him into it.

It's my responsibility, after all…

Anyways, after washing up, I make my way back to my class's booth to watch my friend fight.

"Hey, Tatsuya–Oh my god! What's wrong with your eyes!?"

Kirishima is the first one to notice and greet me, and sadly also the first one to notice my slightly swollen eyes from all that crying. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just… it's nothing, don't worry about it!"

"I-If you're sure…"

I slowly make my way to my seat, Uraraka gave me a nod and a knowing look when I passed her. Ah, right. She bawled her eyes out when she lost too. I guess she knows how frustrating that must be. Even Tsuyu gave me a sympathy-filled pat on the shoulder when I sat down.

Next to her, Midoriya sat there with bandages all over his injured limps and a sling for his broken arm. The moment his eyes met mine, he flinched before looking away with a guilty look on his face. Huh, I wonder why he did that…?

Well, no matter. I'll ask him after the tournament. Right now, there's a match I need to see for myself.

"FIGHT!"

The moment the match started, Bakugou charges right at Taikou with explosions to boost his velocity. Bakugou is nothing if not effective with his quirk, using it to great effect that rivals even Todoroki's, especially since his quirk is so simple and basic.

Once he got close, the blonde delinquent swings his palm at Taikou, who dodges the explosion that came right after with flames blasting off his feet.

"Oh! And Bakugou leads with an explosive charge!"

Bakugou seems to be ready to charge in again with another explosion, only for Taikou to rockets instantly into his face and slams a knee into his solar plexus, shocking everyone who was watching it. And before the blonde delinquent could get his bearings, my childhood friend lands another fiery kick into his solar plexus, sending him flying across the ring.

Bakugou manages to save himself from a ring-out by firing several explosions behind him to slow and halt his momentum, skidding to a stop a good distance away from his opponent. Taikou did not let up on the attack as he once again charges right back into the offense, landing a spin kick on his opponent who barely got up him arm to block the attack.

"W-Whoa, is this really happening…!?" Kaminari stated in shock as we witness Taikou pretty much pushing Bakugou back with a series of kicks one after another.

"No way…" Midoriya muttered, "Kacchan… is being pushed back…?"

I felt myself smile as anxiousness fills me. Taikou might win this, and in doing so, maneuver the plot away from canon into unknown territory. But even so…

"GO, TAIKOU!"

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Quite a turn of events! Taikou is taking the upper hand in this fight!"

Bakugou grunted as he swerves and blocks the flaming kicks from the brown-haired student. He experienced fighting against martial arts thanks to his monkey of a classmate as well as that blonde speedster, but he wasn't expecting this much difference in power.

The attacks keep on coming with no end in sight, each attack come right as he is tries to retaliate. With no opening for him to use his quirk against him, he could only go on the defensive.

He has no idea who this guy is, only that he is friends with Deku and the blonde speedster that always irritated him, and he is part of Class 1-B. He was supposed to be a background character, someone that has no consequence to him. The only one he should be looking out for in this tournament is only that half-n-half.

And yet, he triumphs over the blonde delinquent time and time again. In the Obstacle Race, in the Cavalry Battle, he keeps beating him over and over again. It doesn't make sense to him, why is he better than him!? Isn't he just another extra on his stage!?

"Had enough?"

"D-Damn you!"

He reacts to the taunt with much vigor and rage, as he ducks under a reverse kick and leaps forward, slamming his palm and ignites a large explosion into his opponent's chest. The blast burns him, Taikou taking a couple steps back hissing in pain while Bakugou gathers his bearings.

'This guy… he's tough.' The blonde delinquent unwillingly admits to himself, 'His quirk is like Glasses, fast and powerful…'

'But…'

"Still not enough to beat me!" He runs forward with a yell, forming an explosion behind him to propel himself forward. With that momentum, he strikes his palm towards Taikou, who easily swerves around the resulting explosion before spinning and slams his elbow into the delinquent's face.

"GRK! You fucking bastard!"

Bakugou got back and slams an explosion into his opponent's side. Taikou grunted in pain as he staggers forward, the blonde delinquent uses that opening to grab him back his jersey and sends him flying towards the edge of the ring with an explosion.

Taikou manages to save himself with a burst of fire from his feet that stops him from a ring-out before rocketing right back into the fight at top speeds. The blonde delinquent uses this to his advantage as he puts his hands together uses a new move he just came up with.

"STUN GRENADE!"

An explosive sphere erupted from between his palms, igniting and bursting in flash of light and sound. The sudden flash blinded Taikou, who covers his eyes on reflex as Bakugou uses his distraction as an opening, as he charges straight at him with an arm cocked back for an explosive swing.

Unfortunately, due to perhaps daily sparring with his childhood friend who has one of the fastest reflexes he knows, Taikou is able to react to the blonde delinquent's attack and dodges his swing by propelling to his right. Seizing the opportunity, he then made a sharp turn mid-air, and rockets a foot into Bakugou's hastily raised arms.

That knocks him off balance with arms up in the air, leaving himself wide-opened. The brown-haired teen took the opening and slams a fiery back kick into his gut, sending him flying back across the ring once more. This time, however, Bakugou tumbles a bit before righting himself and halting his momentum with a couple of explosions behind him.

"What a match! Both sides are unrelenting and neither seems to be backing down at all! This could be anyone's game!"

"Got to admit, this is way tougher than I thought." Taikou stated with a tired grin, "You definitely earned that first place in the entrance exam."

"Hah! That's a given!" Bakugou smirks, "So why don't you just let me blow you over and get this over with?"

"Ha! That's a good one!" The brown-haired teen, "But you're right…" He then crouches down into a runner starting position, one of his legs pulled back.

"Let's get this over with."

His foot then starts igniting, before flames erupted from it like a rocket preparing to launch itself. 'This will settle it… it's now or never…'

"That's right! Let's end this!"

Bakugou responds in kind by launching himself into the air with an explosion, before twisting his arms around him and firing small explosive blasts from his palm, spinning around and launching him forward like a spinning tornedo towards his opponent. 'Come on! Let's see what you've got!'

Taikou's flames grew, before exploding in one large burst that rockets him forward at mach speeds.

At the moment of collision, the brown-haired teen twists his body and launch a hook kick at his opponent, just as the blonde delinquent slams his momentum assisted strike at him.

"HOWITZER IMPACT!"  
"BLAZING COMET!"

The two attacks clashes against each other, fire meets explosion in a huge collision that shook the entire stadium on impact with a large burst of embers and smoke.

"What an attack! Both sides met with such incredible force! But who will come out on top!?"

The audience, those in the stadium and those watching from home, held their breathes as they await the winner of this clash. And as the smoke clear, everyone couldn't believe what they are witnessing at this moment.

Both competitors, Taikou and Bakugou, the two of them rugged and covered in dirt and soot but still standing.

And they are still in the ring.

"I-I don't believe it! They are both still in the ring! They are still standing!"

'D-Damn… that attack nearly blew me away…!'

'His kick… it nearly got me there…'

The two of them staggers a bit, feeling the aftermath of their attacks hitting each other. Both of them got hit dead on by each other's final move, and it shows.

On Bakugou's jersey is a burned hole around his solar plexus that is mostly came from the flaming kick, and Taikou has almost all of his jersey blown clean off, revealing his washboard abs for everyone to see.

"B-Both of you!" Midnight hastily calls out in worry, "Can either of you carry on?"

"Da…Damn straight–"

"I forfeit."

That one line stunned everyone near the ring, especially Bakugou who is fuming at what his opponent just did. 'W-WHAT!?'

"H-HEY!" He shouted at Taikou, "This match isn't over!"

"Yes, it is." The brown-haired teen stated with a grunt, "I'm done. After that kick, I have nothing left. So, I'm forfeiting. You win, Bakugou Katsuki."

"A-Alright, then…" Midnight noted with a nod, "Naru surrenders! Bakugou moves on to the finals!"

"I-It's over? It's over, folks! With this, our final match-up is set! It'll be Todoroki VERSUS Bakugou!"

"THAT'S BULLSHIT!" The blonde delinquent screams as his opponents walks off the arena, "GET BACK HERE, YOU FIRE CHICKEN! GET BACK AND FIGHT ME FOR REAL!"

* * *

I let out a sigh at the events that are unfolding.

The aftermath of the match is pretty intense considering Bakugou is screaming and yelling at Taikou to get back and finish the match proper who in turn is ignoring him as he exits the stadium with a bit of swagger in his steps. Although, there is a small stutter as well. Is he that tired from that fight…?

"Man, talk about anti-climactic." Kaminari stated, "After all that fighting and the guy just forfeits?"

"But I guess he has a point…" Sero noted, "After that one attack, I would be exhausted too."

"Still, to just forfeit like that?" Kirishima stated with a grimace, "I thought Taikou would be more manly than that."

"It's nothing to do with manliness, Kirishima-san." Yaoyorozu tells him, "He saw that he couldn't achieve victory, and accepts it. It can be seen as cowardice, but he made a logical move that benefits him the best."

"You say that, but he doesn't look like the type who'll do that." Jirou noted, "If anything, he seems like the kind who does things on the whim."

"Kacchan isn't going to let this go any time soon…" Midoriya grimaced.

"Yeah, he does seem the type to hold a grudge." Tsuyu noted, "I bet he'll jump that Naru guy when school resumes."

"That's a no brainer." The tape-powered teen nodded with a sigh.

"So it's down to Todoroki-kun and Bakugou, huh?" Ashido points out, "It would be an interesting match. Who do you think will win it?"

As my classmates starts discussing on who would win the finals, I took this chance to leave the booth in search for my childhood friend. If what I'm guessing is correct, then he would need some assistance.

* * *

The moment Taikou made sure he is deep enough that the audience can't see him, he slumps over on the wall with a tired sigh, hissing at the burn marks all over his gut and chest. It took all he got just to keep himself upright and not collapse in front of the audience.

With each step, he flinches at how sore his muscles are, especially his calves with how heated they are from his overuse of his quirk. Without looking, he can tell that they are red from overheating.

"I've overdid it with that last attack…"

He has bet it all in that last attack, any hopes he has for getting to the finals is all placed in that last kick. But he has underestimated how versatile and creative Bakugou can be with his quirk, especially that stun move which he did not expect at all as well as his finishing attack.

If anything, he can now see why he has the highest score in the entrance exam.

Even so, he couldn't bring himself to like, or respect him at all.

Everything about the blonde delinquent just ticks him off. His attitude towards others, the air of arrogance around him, the way he acts superior and couldn't stand anyone being 'better' than him, all of them traits of a traditional bully. Heck, it is obvious that Midoriya was a victim to his bullying from how they interacted.

And he hates bullies.

He could easily remember his elementary school days, where a lot of his classmates made fun of his childhood friend for thinking of being a Hero with her limited quirk. He could count how many times they taunted her, laughed at her, and even throws some of the worst pranks at her in hopes of getting a reaction out of her.

Genko mostly would take them in stride, and assures him that it is fine and that she isn't bothered by it. He can tell it has a toll on her but chooses not to say anything, which looking back, it may have put a bit of strain on their relationship since then.

It was until they got into middle school which things escalated.

Thanks to the rumors of the two of them dating, Genko ended up getting picked on by a couple of the girls for being around him. Due to them being separated by class, he wasn't able to get the full picture until an incident happened that changes his impressions of his childhood friend.

He could still remember that day very clearly. After school, there was a commotion near the girl's bathroom that got everyone attention. Not a moment later, there are screams and the word of Genko lashing out and beating up a third year got out.

Not a moment sooner, the teachers came to investigate the situation and Genko was nearly suspended from the school for her violent acts. It was only thanks to Shinsou who brought to light the harassment she has been getting for first half of the semester and the fact that the third year attacked first that she escaped getting suspended but still got detention for what she has done.

When he went and visit her afterwards, he could hear her crying from behind her bedroom door.

It was then that he now knows that although Genko is a strong person, her heart can be like glass at times. He knew that she has a habit of keeping her woes away from others, but he didn't know how much pain that has caused her. And by not talking to her about her troubles, he nearly caused her to break herself from carrying it all.

From than on, he knew what he has to do.

His new goal is not just to become a pro Hero like her, but to also be there for her as one. He knows that there are times in which Heroes formed agencies with one another, and that was what he wanted to do for her. He'll become someone she can share her burdens with, someone she can depend on.

"But that's still a long way ahead…"

As he staggers along, holding onto the wall to try and keep himself up, one of his foot didn't quite follow his command and tripped him over. He would have fallen to the ground, if not for someone catching him before that could happen.

"Genko…?"

"I knew it." His childhood friend sighs, "You've pushed your quirk too far, didn't you?"

"…A little, yeah?" He nervously chuckles, "I kinda have to. Bakugou is one tough bastard."

"He's also very vindictive." She points out as she pulls his arm over her shoulders, "Just a heads-up, he'll mostly like demand another match when school resumes."

"Oh joy…"

"Well, you earned it for trying to act all cool out there. You could've just stated that your feet have overheated."

"And let Bakugou have that satisfying victory? No can do. If I'm losing, it's under my terms and never on his."

"Seriously…" She let out another sigh as they slowly made their way towards the medical ward, "You guys and your dumb grudges… I swear, it's like he's your natural enemy or something."

'Way closer than you think, Genko.' Taikou mentally chuckles, 'Way closer than you think.'

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

Most of Class 1-B let out a sigh at the results of the match. It was close, but in the end, their rival class got most of the spotlight anyways. For some, it would frustrate them to no end.

"And again, it's 1-A's time…" Tetsutetsu clicked his tongue in irritation, "Damn it! I thought Taikou could beat that blonde jerk."

"On the bright side, it doesn't look like he took it very well either." Setsuna points out, curses from Bakugou can be heard very clearly from where they are.

"For every bad thing, there's a pleasurable thing; as they say, right?" Pony helpfully stated.

"I think you meant 'a _good_ thing', Tsunotori-san." Kodai Yui interjects.

"Ha, for all his boasting, he still loses." Monoma scoffs, "All bark and no bite, as the saying goes."

"At least he made it to semi-finals." Honenuki stated, "That's got to account for something, right?"

"Yeah, but all due to luck." The blonde teen carries on, "He only won against that Yaoyorozu chick because he just brute force through it and got lucky. And his match against Tokoyami is already in his favor from the start. His luck ran out when he is up against Bakugou Katsuki."

"I don't know." Shishida shrugs his shoulder, "It feels like an even fight to me."

"Yes, but once Bakugou got a hit in, it's all over." He added, "He is a glass cannon, can't take what he can dish out. If he had listened to my plans for all of us, more of us would have made it into the tournament. But alas, he chooses to ally himself with our rivals and look where it got him?"

"It also got him into the tournament." Kendo firmly pointed out, "His willingness to pair himself with people outside his class got him to where he is in the first place. And let's face it, even if all of us followed your plan, can you guarantee that we could get through?"

"Of course–"

"There's no certainty in a plan, Monoma." She tells him, "Let's face it. Class 1-A has dealt with actual villains and has grown from that, more than us and all in over the past month. Compared to them, we are lacking in a lot of things."

"I hate to admit it, but Kendo's right." Tetsutetsu nodded, "We are really lagging behind, and the fact that only Taikou made it to the tournament shows it."

"Same here."

"Agreed.

One by one, the rest of their class agreed on the reason they lost to their rival class. Monoma looked around at his classmates all nodding and agreeing with what their class representative said, before conceding to them, "Yeah, yeah, you guys are right. We are lagging behind. But we can still catch up! I know that by the next semester, we would tower over Class 1-A–!"

"Actually, why don't we just work with them?"

The soft spoken Kodai Yui's suggestion silenced his speech, as everyone all looked at her in confusion. Flinching at the sudden attention she was getting, she then continues, "Vlad-sensei never said that we can't work with Class 1-A. Not to mention, we hardly know their names. Shouldn't rivals at least understand each other?"

"…She has a point." Kendo nodded, "All in favor of working with Class 1-A?"

"Aye!"

"Monoma."

"Tch, fine."

* * *

 **Yup! This is done! HOLY SHIT, this took way longer than I hoped to be. Getting both Bakugou's personality right is pretty hard; I'm not used to writing such a character before. It doesn't help that I don't really like Bakugou at all.**

 **Oh, he's a great character, don't get me wrong. I just personally don't like him.**

 **Out of all the fights, Bakugou VS Taikou is the hardest one I have to write about since I started writing fanfics! I was lost on how to write it, especially when Bakugou's arsenal is pretty low compared to the latest few chapters, and I don't want to make it like Taikou is way stronger than Bakugou.**

 **Because as much as I want to write it as such, he is not. Bakugou has been the top of the first year during the Sports Festival, and I'm planning on keeping it as such.**

 **So yes, next one is the finale of the Sports Festival arc with a bit of epilogue afterwards, so stay tuned for it!**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Sport Festival: Tournament, Finals; Epilogue**

* * *

*CHUUUUUUU*

I could never get used to the sight of Recovery Girl using her quirk on people. Healing quirks are amazing, but I wouldn't like to kiss everyone just to heal them. I wonder what is it like during her prime?

After his grueling fight with Bakugou, Taikou has obviously overtaxed himself and his quirk, which led to me helping him to the medical ward for treatment. Despite the ferocity of their fight, the most serious wound he has receive is at most the near second-degree burn around his gut where he took that Howitzer Impact move. Surprisingly, no broken bones at all.

Guess Bakugou has learned since that fateful Battle Training lesson…

"There you go." She tells Taikou as she drops a few sugar gummies into his hand, my childhood friend having bandages wrapped around his gut, "They aren't as serious as I thought, but I suggest you get plenty of rest. Can't have you passing out during award ceremony now."

"I will." He nodded as he pops in one of the gummies. He then turns to me, "Are you going to watch the finals?"

"Nah, I think I'll stay here and rest up as well." I stated as I stretch out my back, "I think I have enough excitement for one day."

"The beds are free, if you want to take a snooze." Recovery Girl tells me, "But no hanky-panky business. I've yet to change the sheets for the beds since I joined, and I'm not starting now."

"Uwah, gross!" Taikou gagged, "There's no way I'm doing the dirty with her!"

"Same here!" I shuddered at the thought, "It's like banging my brother… that's just disgusting…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." She shrugged her shoulders as she sat down at a table and start going through some papers, "Just keep quiet, okay?"

With that said, I lay down on the bed next to Taikou's and closed my eyes, letting myself slowly drift off into slumber.

Only to wake up minutes later when the medical ward's door is slammed open.

"Taikou, you here!?"

Tetsutetsu's voice echoes all over the ward much to our agony. Behind him are a few of Class 1-B's students, some I recognized like their class president and Pony, as well as that one black haired girl from the Cavalry Battle, but the last couple of them aren't known to me.

"Keep your voices down!"

"Ah! Haha… sorry…"

While the metal powered teen is getting scolded by Recovery Girl, Pony walks up to him and asked, "How are you doing, Taikou?"

"Yup. Just peachy, until you guys barged in and woke me up." He grumbles out.

"Ahaha… sorry…" She nervously laughed.

"You sure you are fine, Naru?" Kendo asked him, "That last attack looks like it really struck hard."

"Yeah, that got to hurt. Like, a lot!" A sharp-eyed girl stated with a chuckle, the black-haired girl nodded in agreement.

"Oh, it hurt." Taikou laughed, "But they are mostly flesh wounds, nothing too severe. Recovery Girl healed me up in no time at all!"

"If you say so." She shrugged her shoulders, before turning her attention to me, "Oh, aren't you from Class 1-A?"

"Ah, hi." I greeted with a smile, "I'm Tatsuya Genko."

"Oh, right! You're the girl who got out of that ice but got froze over anyway!" She points out with a laugh, oblivious of the verbal stabs she has inflicted on me.

"Tokage, watch your words." Kendo scolded, before turning to me, "Sorry for that. I believe we've never truly introduced ourselves. I'm Kendo Itsuka, Class 1-B's class representative."

"Name's Tokage Setsuna." The sharp-eyed girl greeted, "Nice to meet ya."

"Kodai Yui." The black-haired girl spoke softly.

"I'm Honenuki Juzo." The blonde teen that looks like Eren Jaeger's titan form greets me, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

I bowed my head in response to their greetings, "Pleased to meet you all."

"Huh. That's quite a change in character." Tokage noted, "You're a completely different person during the Sport Festival."

"My mom drilled me on proper manners my entire childhood that it's second nature." I explained to her.

"So, why are you guys all here?" Taikou asked his classmates, "Aren't you going to watch the finals?"

"Not when it's just Class 1-A's people out there." Tetsutetsu stated, "Just seeing them on that stage grinds my gears, especially that Bakugou fellow…"

"Also, we want to discuss some things involving our class." Kendo added.

I blinked before quickly turning away and blocking my ears with the pillow, "Don't mind me. I won't hear a thing."

"It's not that confidential, Tatsuya-san." She assures me, "Besides, it involves your class too."

"Huh? Really? What is it?"

"Well, after discussing among ourselves, we have come to an agreement that we should try and work together with Class 1-A." Kendo explains, to my surprise, "We wanted to ask if you are okay with that, considering your beef with Bakugou Katsuki…"

"I'm down with that, no problem!" Taikou nodded, "But isn't Monoma…?"

"He agrees, if a bit reluctantly." Tokage explains, "He then went on a tirade of how this would help them in overtaking Class 1-A or something."

"Yup, that sounds like something he would do…"

"What do you say, Tatsuya-san?" Kendo turns to me, "Any objections?"

"Not from me personally." I stated before frowning a little, "But I can't say for certain about the rest of my class. You might want to check with our class representative for that." Not that Iida wouldn't mind. In fact, I think he'll be delighted to go through with it. The only problem would be Bakugou, for obvious reasons…

Can't see that going too well with him…

"I see. Then I'll check with him after the festival–"

*BOOOOOOOOOMMMM*

The entire room shook for a moment, much to our surprise.

"What the hell was that!?" Tetsutetsu cried out in shock.

"My guess is that Bakugou did that same move from the semi-finals." I pointed out.

Not much of a guess than I'm certain that it is the case. Which means that the Finals will be over soon enough. And the Awards Ceremony would begin shortly…

"I still can't believe that you took that attack and can still walk it off like it was nothing." Tokage says to Taikou with a grimace, "I don't anyone except for maybe Tetsutetsu could tank that no problem. And even that's a stretch."

"Hey! Are you implying that I'm weaker than that blonde dickhead!?"

"Lower down your voice! This is the medical ward, not the stadium!"

"Ack! S-Sorry…"

"He's faking it, you know." I pointed out to her, ignoring my childhood friend's cry in shock, "He would have collapsed in the hallway if I didn't support him all the way here."

"H-Hey! Genko!"

"I thought he was acting strangely…" Kendo noted.

"Stubborn and prideful." Kodai noted softly, "Like all men."

The door to the ward then opened again, with Shinsou walking in ready to say something, only to close his mouth when he saw the Class 1-B's students around Taikou. With his eyebrow raised, he asked:

"When did you became a harem protagonist?"

I found myself howling in laughter at that comment, much to Taikou's embarrassment.

* * *

"Now, let's all move on to the Awards Ceremony!"

I felt a sweat slide down my cheek as I watch Bakugou struggle against his metal bindings with a ferocity of a caged beast. If weren't for the mouth gag, I'm sure he would be cursing up a storm that would be a nightmare to censor for the broadcast team.

Though I can't say that about the paparazzi taking our pictures, though…

After that explosion, the final match is officially over and everyone is called to gathered in the stadium for the last ceremony and the closing speech afterwards. Both me and Taikou are to ascend to the podium together at third place, while Todoroki and Bakugou are to be at the second place and first place podiums respectively.

Of course, the blonde delinquent was putting up quite a fight to not go up on to the podium. So much so that Midnight has to put him to sleep with her quirk before he is chained and bind up onto the podium against his will.

I'm not sure that is ethical in any way, but with how much Bakugou is screaming and struggling, I don't blame them for doing it.

"Man, I've seen stray dogs more tamed that him…" Taikou whispers to my ear, which I nodded in agreement.

"And… Presenting the medals this year is… you know who…!"

"HAAHAHAHA!"

A boisterous laugh echoes all around the stadium, a large figure leaped off the stadium roof with poise and cartwheels down.

"I AM–"  
"He's everyone's hero–"  
"–HERE WITH–"  
"All Might!"  
"–THE MEDALS!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Snrk."

I let out a snort as I struggles to keep my laughter from exploding at how awkward they did at delivering that announcement. For being the charismatic Symbol of Peace, All Might sure can be a really awkward goof at times. Guess that's part of his charm, I suppose.

Regardless, I was able to calm myself in time for All Might to come up to us with our respective medals.

"Congratulations, Tatsuya-shoujo!" He says to me as he hung the bronze medal around my neck, "You are a really strong fighter, and your use of your quirk is ingenious! But ingenuity could only go so far. You got to work on covering your weaknesses too. Understand?"

"Yes. I do." I nodded as he gave me a hug and a pat on the back.

He then did the same to Taikou, complimenting on his tenacity and fight-or-flight decision making skills, while advising on overdoing it with his quirk. He must have been watching the match to notice that.

Todoroki took a little longer, with more words exchanged that most likely have something to do with his family's situation. Nothing else can be said before All Might just gave him a tighter hug while patting him softly.

And then, there's Bakugou.

It's pretty obvious that he really didn't like how he came first place, and with one heck of an expression to match. If I were to describe it, it would be like a bomb just a few ticks away from blowing everyone to kingdom come. Naturally, he didn't want to accept the medal as his win isn't 'worth it', but All Might forcefully made him take it anyway by hanging it on his jaws.

Well, as long it is on his person, I suppose…

"Well! These are your winners!" All Might addresses to the audience, "But hold on, everyone! Everyone here today has the potential to be standing up here! As you all witnessed! Competition! Encouragement! Pushing each other to climb higher and higher! The sprouts of today will grow into the Heroes of tomorrow!"

"And in that spirit, let's all give one final cheer! Everyone, say it with me! One, two, and…!"

With a pump of his fist, the entire stadium shook with a 'single' cheer.

"PLUS ULTRA–"THANKS FOR THE HARD WORK!""

"We're supposed to say 'Plus Ultra', All Might!"

"Read the mood!"

"Oh, right… it's just they worked really hard and I wanted to… you know…"

"PFF-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

This time, I couldn't stop my laughter at all.

* * *

After the closing ceremony, the Sport Festival officially ended.

Every student is ushered back to our respective classes, changed back into our uniforms before gathering in our classrooms for further debriefing from our homeroom teachers.

As we waited about in the classroom for either Aizawa or dad to arrive, Midoriya for some reason walks up to my seat, bandages all over his body with an arm in a sling and limping on one foot, "Tatsuya-san."

"Hm? What is it?" I asked.

"Um… I-I wanted to say… I'm sorry."

Sorry? Why is he apologizing all of the sudden? "Why the sudden apology?"

"After you willingly given me so much advice, help me so much, I still… I couldn't even make it past the quarter-finals…" He stated with a sense of somber in his tone before bowing down in front of me, "I ended up wasting all your time for nothing… for that, I'm sorry…"

"Deku-kun…" Uraraka muttered from behind him.

"…" I let out a small sigh at that, "Midoriya-san."

"Hm?"

The moment he raises his head, I flicked his forehead hard.

"Ow! W-Wha-?"

"That's for being an idiot, you loveable doofus." I stated before smiling at him, "It's not a waste if you improved, is it not? You may not have beaten Todoroki, but you have put up quite a bit of a fight regardless. Compared to how you are at the start of the semester, that's a huge improvement."

"I think so too!" Uraraka stated, "You have really improved, Deku-kun! And your fight with Todoroki is jaw-dropping!"

"I agree." Tsuyu nodded.

"That's right!" Iida shouted in agreement with his hands waving wildly, "You did amazingly well in the Festival! Do not let one loss put you down! You are a wonderful student of the Hero Course and I would not let you forget it!"

"As would I!" Kirishima agrees with a loud flex, "Your match was amazing, Midoriya! You are a man amongst man!"

"Quite a beautiful match, that it was~!" Aoyama noted with a pose and wink, "Magnifique!"

"Same here!" Sato nodded.

"You guys…"

"Speaking matches, whose match do you think is the best?" Hagakure asked, "I personally find Kirishima's and Ojirou's fight absolutely amazing!"

"Really? I honestly find the match between Midoriya-kun and that Class C's Shinsou to be amazing!" Ashido noted, "You didn't expect to see a martial arts fight in the tournament, after all! With them flipping each other over and over again like that!"

"Don't forget Tatsuya's fight with Iida!" Sero stated, "Man, I never think he could move like that before!"

The class burst into discussions on the matches in the tournament, Midoriya's little apology fades into the background. I turned to him, giving him a hard pat on the back, "You did good, Midoriya-san. Never forget that."

"O-Of course!"

The classroom door slides open as a bandaged Aizawa walked in with a firm stare under his overly bandaged face. "To your seats, all of you."

With that command, everyone all rushes back to our seats and sat up straight by the time he got to the podium, quietly awaiting whatever our homeroom teacher has to say.

"…7 seconds…" He muttered, "A small improvement, but still a bit too slow."

"Aizawa-sensei." Tsuyu raises her hand and asked, "Is it alright for you to be walking about?"

"Technically speaking, no. But regardless of my condition, I'm still your homeroom teacher and I need to brief you on a few things before you are let off to your long weekend." He pointed out, "In the light of that, I like to inform you all that you will be given tomorrow and the next day off to rest from the festival. Scouting reports and such from the Pro Heroes will be waiting for you after the break, so look forward to that when you come back."

"Other than that, I like to remind you all to watch yourself during the break and not do anything rash that would ruin your chances of become Pro Heroes." He added on sternly, "The entire nation now knows your name and what you can do, so try not to damage any good reputation to manages to achieve for yourself. Am I clear on that front?"

""Yes, sir!""

"Good. With that, I bid you all a wonderful break."

With those last words, we all start packing up and leaving the classroom. As I pick up my bag, my mind wanders to what's next in the timeline.

After this would be the Stain Arc, also known as the Workplace Experience Arc. Originally in canon, Iida went on a revenge quest against the Hero Killer to avenge his brother's forced retirement from the Hero business. He would be confronted with a life changing lesson would strength his resolve to be a Pro Hero worthy of the Ingenium's name.

But here, thanks perhaps to me enrolling and catching the attention of his brother, Iida wouldn't be going on a revenge spree due to Stain not attacking Ingenium as he is here in Musutafu, and not in Hosu. As such, I highly doubt he would actively seek out Stain, and that alone would change his character a fair bit.

After all, it is due to his experience with dealing with Stain that helps him in the mid-terms practical.

Most importantly, it was due to him seeking out the Hero Killer that finally put him behind bars in the first place. Sure, it nearly got him, Midoriya and Todoroki into a whole lot of legal troubles, but the anti-hero is off the streets in the end. If the events that would unfold didn't happen, that's a good chance that Stain would remain uncaptured, leading to more Hero deaths and would worsen the aftermath of All Might's retirement.

I can't just ask Iida to chase Stain and hope that it would go according to canon, and I do not know anything about the Hero Killer's whereabouts besides what the general public already knows, so I can't just tip the police and expect them and the Heroes to find and put him behind bars. Sure, I would know who would target next, but who knows how much the timeline as changed from my existence.

For all we know, he would go after Ingenium after all.

That leaves only one option. And that's…

"Hey, Tatsuya? You okay?"

"Hm?"

A hand waved in front of me, I turned up to see Kirishima with a small concerned frown on his face, "You are staring at your bag for at least a minute now. Almost everyone has gone home."

I took a good look around, seeing the nearly empty classroom with exceptions to Tsuyu, who has a similarly concerned look on her face, Iida, Midoriya and Uraraka. Aoyama is there in the background as well, with a fabulous pose as the usual for him.

"Oh, I'm fine." I assures him, "I'm just thinking about the scouting reports Aizawa-sensei mentioned."

"Ah, that." He nods, "Yup, it's nerve-wrecking, isn't it? Well, I don't think you have to worry about it. With what you have done up to the semi-finals, there's no doubt that all the Pros would want you!"

"Is that so?" I chuckles, "Thanks, Kirishima-san."

"No problem!" He grins before taking off, "Well, I'll see you after the break!"

"Yeah, take care!"

As he left, Tsuyu turns to me with her finger under her chin, her habit when pondering about something from what I've observed. She didn't say much, just a small farewell croak before leaving the room. Midoriya and his two close friends left as well, not before the freckled cinnamon roll took one more look at me before turning away.

After all that, I took my bag and proceed to exit the classroom, my plans for the Stain Arc still rolling in my head.

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

"I'm soooooo proud of you!"

Taikou grunts as he and Genko are smushed against each other into the cleavage of Midnight, with Shinsou watching in amusement. For a normal and hormonal teenage boy, such a thing would be heaven on earth. But due being desensitized from being with her since he was little and already well acquainted with her overall sex appeal, it's more akin to torture to him.

When you get smushed into the same valley of breasts for most of his childhood, you would grown used to it eventually.

After the three friends meet up and was about to leave the campus, Midnight shows up and proceeds to give them the biggest embrace she could give to him and her niece. Shinsou was lucky enough to escape her grasps, leaving only the two suffocated in her arms.

'That damn son of a bitch…'

"N-Nemuri-nee!" Genko grunted out from her face pressed against the voluptuous chest, "I can't breathe!"

"Oh, I can't believe you have done it!" She cries in happiness, Midnight still in her full Hero costume, "To think that those precious little kids from so long ago has come this far! OH! The youthfulness of it all! It makes me so–"

"Okay, that's too far." Her cousin tells him as Maki pulls her away and freeing the two childhood friends, both Taikou and Genko taking the moment to sucking in as much air as they can, "Nemuri, control yourself."

"Tch, you're no fun."

In the background, Mineta could only cries tears of blood as he watched. "Damn that normie…! I hope you explode, Taikou!"

* * *

 **There! Finally, Sports Festival is finished! Sorry if this is quick chapter, as I didn't feel that adding Todoroki fighting Bakugou is going to add to anything since it's still play out as in canon.**

 **As for why there's no fight to determine who gets third and fourth place, it is stated in canon that both Iida and Tokoyami are going to be on the third-place podium if weren't for the whole Ingenium getting critically injured thing going on. So, I just have my two OCs up there on the podium.**

 **Now, with this, I can finally start writing the Stain Arc, which means it's time for me to decide who my SI is going to be interning with. (Although, it is stated that it is not internship and more akin to an on-the-job training regimen)**

 **That being said, I have already an idea who it would be, if the last couple of chapters didn't give you enough hints. If you guys have any ideas on who it should be, please let me know. I'll put your ideas into consideration.**

 **Although, I'm sad to say that I'm going to put this story on hiatus for a while.**

 **I'm not abandoning this fic, far from it. I'm just going to take a short break on this fic to focus on another fic I have an idea for. It'll be out soon, so stay alert!**

 **As for what fic it would be, you just have to wait and see.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Hero Names**

* * *

"So, do you have any ideas?"

" _Hm… that would be tricky…_ "

It is the night of my last day of break as I contacted my brother. Muscles are still aching over the Sports Festival, but I can still move well enough to make a Skype call on my laptop. On the first day, in celebration of me getting third place, mom has bought over some cake from the pretty well-known cake shop near her workplace, that I gladly demolished within minutes, which is then followed by Taikou calling me over for an improv party by his uncle's apartment's tenants that lasted into the night.

Shinsou was invited, but he sadly didn't show up.

The morning afterwards is when the muscle aches really starts to settle in, rendering me bedbound for most of the day. Dad is pretty busy over the break, heading back to school for reasons he isn't allowed to tell me, but I have the feeling that it has something to do with the upcoming Workplace Internship.

The upcoming arc is the one that focuses on Stain as the main antagonist, and brought up the question of 'what is a Hero'. And it mostly deals with Iida seeking to take revenge upon the Villain for putting his brother in a wheelchair and ending his Hero career. In the end, Midoriya steps in to save him from self-destruction along with Todoroki before the three of them worked together and took him down.

At least, that would be the case, if weren't for the simple fact that Ingenium didn't get attacked by Stain.

Not sure if it is due to the butterfly effect, but Ingenium wasn't in Hosu when Stain made his move, which results in another Hero getting the blade instead of him. When the news reported on Stain and the victim is not him but some random Hero from the same town, I knew I have to rewrite my entire plan for this arc, which includes that fact that someone has to deal with Stain before it is too late.

The only reason Stain was caught in the first place isn't just that Iida butt in on one of his 'hunts' and was actively hunting him down, it is also that his quirk got found out and that made him panic to try and deal with them which leads to him making many mistakes and in the end, causes his downfall.

Or it could be Midoriya's plot armor at work, who knows?

Regardless, it meant that the only person who can deal with Stain is someone who is actively searching for him AND knows the workings of his quirk and how to deal with it.

And the only other person who knows his quirk besides Stain himself, is me.

Which means I have to be the one to hunt him down.

Now, normally, that would be a dumb idea. I'm still just a Hero-in-training, a _student_ who should have no right to deal with such things like taking down a Villain, especially someone who got called the _Hero Killer_.

But I might be the only one that has a shot in taking him down. Without Iida actively seeking revenge on him, Stain wouldn't be stopped. Sure, in time, Heroes would eventually manage to track him and take him into custody, but when would that happen? And how many people would be killed by him before that happens?

And with All Might's retirement just a couple of months away, who knows what would happen if he is still loose on the streets by the time All-For-One clash with the Symbol of Peace one last time? How could the crazed killer make sense to the world without All Might?

Too many variables and too many ways for things to fall into chaos. If there's a chance that taking Stain down as soon as possible would save more lives in the long run, then I have to take that dive and deal with the problem.

And that leads to the reason I have called my brother up. If I were to have any chance in dealing with Stain, I need to first deal with the biggest flaw my quirk has posed to me. How to charge my quirk more effectively besides storing batteries in my pocket to use. Hopefully, Tetsu has some idea on how to deal with it.

" _To be honest, your quirk's handicap has been on my mind since you stated that you wanted to be Hero like dad._ " He tells me, " _But I still haven't been able to come up with a solution for it._ "

"Come on, Tetsu. There has to be something. Don't you have any gadget that can solve that problem?"

" _Not to my knowledge…_ " My brother muses for a moment, " _To start, electrical currents aren't that easy to create in the first place. And to make it in a size that would not complicate your movements? That's pretty much impossible._ "

"Damn it. Is there even a way for me to work around it?" I state out in frustration, "Electrical currents… electrical currents… what are electrical currents, anyway?"

" _If you are talking about lightning, then it is simply electrons jumping from a positive charged cloud to a neutrally charged object._ "

"Ah, right. Wait, isn't that the same explanation as static electricity?"

" _Yeah-hey… wait, I just… it might… hey, you might be on to something there!_ "

Seeing my brother be this excited must be a good thing. The last time this happens was when he got an idea for the gadget that got him that job on I-Island.

" _Static electricity has higher voltage than a normal current, and it could generate using multitude of ways… if I… maybe with the… yeah… yeah, yeah, yeah! That might be it!_ "

"What might be it?" I asked curiously, "Did you come up with an idea?"

" _I think I might just have! You see…_ "

The rest of the night is all Tetsu talking my head off about some schematics and science thing, but the end result is the fact that he knows how to work around my quirk's handicap.

* * *

The first day of school since the break is a wet one.

Since early in the morning, rain has start pouring down relentlessly. By the time I reach the gate, my socks are completely soaked through.

Although this morning was a bit… unique to say the least.

Not sure it is due to me mostly staying at home from most of my break, but whenever I got into a crowded area, people just start congratulating me over the Sport Festival, even cheering me on for my future career.

Heck, I think there are a few students from other high schools who greeted me like they are meeting their celebrity crush for some reason. Heck, one of them even ask if they could shake my hand and take a selfie with them.

Not that I dislike the attention, but the sudden influx of people getting interested in me is a little off-putting.

"Good morning, Tatsuya-chan!"

"Morning, Genko-chan."

"Morning, Hagakure-san. Tsuyu-chan."

I greeted my classmates as I made my way to my seat. There are murmurs all around me, all talking about their new-found fame among the public with various degrees of compliments, or consultation in the case of Sero.

"All those grade schoolers just told me I made a good effort…"

"Good effort, Sero-kun."

"A-Asui-san… come on…"

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Hagakure states in awe, "One little event, and suddenly the world got its eye on us. As expected of Yuuei!"

"Yeah, definitely." I stated with a nod, "I myself got asked to take a few selfies with a couple of students on the way here. It is honestly really embarrassing."

"Wow, you sure are popular!" She said before sighing, "All they did is stare at me on the train."

"Well, you did go topless on the Cavalry Battle in public…"

As if on que, the bell rang and Aizawa walks in right on time; the class immediately returns to our seats within seconds.

"Morning."

"""Good morning, Aizawa-sensei!"""

"Hm? Aizawa-sensei, your bandages are off." Tsuyu commented.

"That old lady's treatment is way too excessive for a fracture…" He stated, scratching the scars under his eyes, "But never mind that now. This morning, we have got Hero Informatics class. And a special one at that."

A tense atmosphere immediately filled the room. Everyone is waiting anxiously in their seats for what kind of special class our stoic homeroom teacher is going to spring on us.

Well, I already know what that is going to be, though.

"…You'll be coming up with your Hero names."

 **""Something Heroic has come!""**

A quick glare from Eraserhead and everyone calms back down into their seats.

"But before we proceed, there are some things I wish to address first." He explains, "It is concerning the Pros scouting reports I've mentioned the other day. It's based on who the Pros think will be ready to join the Hero Workforce after another two to three years of experience, so you can say that it's a way for them to show interest in your futures. But there's ample time for their interest to wane before you graduate, and any and all offers can be arbitrary revoked at any given time."

"Talk about harsh…" Jirou mutters out.

"So, if we're picked now, that just means that there'll be higher hurdles to in the years to come!" Hagakure concluded.

"Yes, that is correct." Aizawa nodded, "With that being said, here's the total number of scouting reports for this class." With a click of a button, part of the blackboard spun around to reveal a screen where the numbers are shown along with a bar chart.

It is as follows:

Todoroki: 4123

Bakugou: 3556

Midoriya: 3404

Tokoyami: 360

Iida: 302

Kaminari: 272

Tatsuya: 265

Yaoyarozu: 108

Kirishima: 68

Ojirou: 50

Uraraka: 20

Sero: 14

"Normally, there's a more even spread of numbers, but three of them stole most of them."

"Gah! They are in a whole different league…!" Kaminari groans in disappointment.

"These Pros has no eye for talent~!" Aoyama huffed.

"But isn't the first and second place backwards?" Kirishima points out.

"They are probably just scared of the guy who has to be literally chained to the winner stand." Sero noted.

"What the heck are the Pros doing getting intimidated!?" Bakugou screamed out in anger.

"I'm surprised you didn't get as much as Midoriya-kun, Tatsuya-chan." Hagakure points out, "You were in third place, too."

"I'm not surprised." I stated, "Aside from the Obstacle Race, I didn't really stand out much in the Cavalry Battle, and my matches in the tournament aren't that cool-looking as Midoriya's. Not to mention I got completely annihilated by Todoroki-san."

"It's still awesome that you got that many to begin with."

"I…I got offers…"

I glanced back at the freckled teen, who looks to be ready to burst into tears at a given moment. That's a given, with how well he used his Full-Cowl against both Shinsou and Todoroki. But I didn't expect him have that many…

"With all of that settled, whether or not you got picked, you will have a chance to work alongside the Pro Heroes." Aizawa announced, getting everyone's attention at once, "One week from now, you are all to embark on your Workplace Internships. While you are more experienced in the field than most your age group, it is still worthwhile for you to work alongside the Pros in the field."

"And that's where our Hero names come in!" Satou stated excitedly.

"This is getting really fun!" Uraraka says happily.

"They are only tentative, but you still want to pick something appropriate." He explains, "Otherwise–"

"–you'll live to regret it!"

The door to the classroom slides open, and on cue Midnight walks in with all the sex appeal her outfit AND figure provides. Even the way she walks, she is emphasizing her good points, mostly her bountiful and shapely bust and full hips.

"The name you picked now may be what the world ends up calling you. That has happened to many Pros out there!"

"Yes, true enough." Aizawa nodded, "And Midnight here will be assessing the sensibility of the names you picked; because I'm sure not cut out for that."

He then picks up his sleeping bag and snuggles inside for a nap, but not without some final words, "What future you do you see yourself in? The name you choose will bring you ever closer to cementing that certain image, because names are capable of reflecting one's true character. Like 'All Might' for example."

With that said, he proceeds to snooze away while Midnight pass out whiteboards for us to write our future Hero names in.

I already have a name in mind. After all, it is the whole reason I want to become a Hero in the first place. But as I wrote down the name, I start to think about it a bit more.

It was my dream and end goal to be like dad, to become the next Hermes and carry on his heroic legacy, but what does that even mean? Do I inherit the name of Hermes like Iida with his family's legacy? Or maybe something more?

Back when I was ten, when I asked dad if I could have his Hero name when I became one, he never said no to it, but he didn't agree to it either. If anything, all he said was:

" _Try to be the Hero YOU want to be first."_

"The Hero I want to be…"

Those words echoed in my mind as the sounds of squeaky markers starts to die down. On my board is just the letters HERMES written in bold English. Is there something more to it? Is my dream really just to be the next Hermes?

With that in mind, I immediately erased it and write down a new name, one that me and Taikou has considered for my Hero name if the whole Hermes thing didn't work out.

* * *

"Alright! Looks like everyone has finished!" Midnight survey the room before announcing, "Let's start with whoever's ready first!"

Wait, we have to present the names to everyone in class!? Oh man, I'm not looking forward to that. If there's one thing I'm really bad at, that would definitely be public speaking.

Unsurprisingly, Aoyama is the one that comes up to the podium first, with as much confidence as he has sparkles floating around him. Still not sure if that's a side effect of his quirk or my hallucination.

"Here I go…" With much grandiose, he presents his Hero name to us, "Shining Hero: I-Cannot-Stop-Twinkling!"

"""That's a whole sentence!"""

Okay, I knew Aoyama is going to one heck of a character, even when I didn't know about the whole plot, but I couldn't prepare myself for his _character_. The guy is just a walking model that is just desiring attention.

"It'll be easier to say if you take out the 'I' and contract 'cannot' into 'can't'."

"Ah, I see! Thank you, mademoiselle!"

Also, is the guy French or English? His accent screams British, but his mannerism is European than anything else. My mom has a similar in that sense, so maybe?

"Okay! I'm next!" Ashido joyfully skips to the podium and presents her name, "Acid Hero: Alien Queen!"

Well, someone's a fan of the classics! But not sure if that's a proper Hero name…

"From the sequel!? Is it because her acid blood!? It's best if you don't use that…!"

"Tch~"

I'm glad Nemuri-nee agrees with me on that front, no matter how fitting that may be. But thanks to those two, the air is kind of tense, like on those variety shows on TV.

"Kero. Can I go next, please?" Tsuyu asked all of the sudden. After Midnight accepts, she walks up to the podium and presents her name, "I've had this thought out since elementary school. Rainy Season Hero: Froppy."

"Oh, that sounds so cute!" Midnight squeals with joy, "It makes you sound like you'd be easy to get to know! Take notes, the rest of you! This is a perfectly lovable name!"

"Go, Froppy!"

Everyone cheers her name in thanks for turning the mood back around. At least now, we can present our names without feeling too awkward!

Next in line is Kirishima, who proudly proclaims his name, "This is me! The Sturdy Hero: Red Riot!"

"Ah! Red Riot! Could it be a homage to the Chivalrous Hero: Crimson Riot?" Midnight asked.

"Right!" The redhead nodded with a little blush on his cheeks, "I know he's a little old school, but Crimson Riot is the kind of Hero I wanted to be!"

"Heh… just knowing that bearing the name of your personal Hero comes with a lot of pressure. Are you prepared for that?"

"Yes, I am!"

Oh yeah, he did have a personal hero, didn't he? It was one of the defining parts of his backstory and motivation. I guess Kirishima and me are the same in that regards. Crimson Riot to him is like dad is to me. And he is willingly to go as far as to model his Hero name after his.

Kind of like me.

Maybe I am right to write this name down…

After that, we have plenty of interesting names that reflects our classmates' personality and quirks.

From Jirou's Earphone Jack to Sero's Cellophane, everyone has some kind of Hero name that suits them like a glove. Even Hagakure's unoriginal Invisible Girl fits her to a tee, though I wonder if that name is already taken…

Well, Todoroki just use his first name, so I guess that's fair at least.

And then we get to Bakugou and…

"King Explosion Murder."

"It'll be best if you do not use that."

"Why not!?"

Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was expecting out of him. I wonder how he managed to name his attacks so well but sucks at his own Hero name. Heck, at least Aoyama's a complete sentence! His is just a bunch of words that would sound cool together!

"Oh, this is going along so well!" Midnight states with a smile, "All that's left, beside Bakugou's revision, are Iida, Tatsuya, and Midoriya."

I swallowed my saliva at that, before bracing myself and walking up to the podium. With a controlled breath, and announces my name to everyone to see.

"Whirlwind Hero: Tempest! That is my name!"

"Oh? And not Hermes?" Midnight asked me, "I thought that was your dream?"

"I still want to be a Hero like dad, like Hermes." I explains, "But at the same time, I don't want to BECOME him. I want to be a Hero that could SUCCEED him, to succeed Hermes. If dad is to be the messenger in the winds, then I'll be the winds itself!"

"…Hmhm, I see, I see…" She giggles, "Well, I look forward to that."

The rest of the class proceeds on like in canon, like Izuku going with the Hero name Deku, with the exception that Iida decides to use the name Ingenium as a show of conviction as the one who would inherit his family's mantle.

And like usual…

"Lord Explosion Murder!"

"Still no, Bakugou. Try again!"

"Come the fuck on!"

Yup, still have no idea why his naming sense for his alias is so shitty.

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

"Hey, Genko! Come look at this!"

Genko looks up from her meal of sweets to face her childhood friend in confusion, "What is it, Taikou?"

"Just come look!"

With a shrug of her shoulders, she made her way toward him who is chuckling nonstop while hunched over his phone, which is playing a certain clip.

A snot escapes her lips as she watches the snippet of Bakugou's spectacular faceplanting at the end of the Cavalry Battle, only it is to some music tone that she isn't familiar with but is surprisingly fitting.

"Oh, but there's more!"

She couldn't withhold her laughter when she saws all the memes surround that single clip. 'Oh man, he is going to be so pissed when he finds out!'

* * *

 **Oh yes! This fic is back!**

 **Now that I have settle with my Shield Hero fic's prologue, I can now return to updating my few favourite fics! And how fitting it is to update this just as Season 4 is airing!**

 **And yes, this is the Hero names chapter, where we get to know what is Genko's Hero name! Trust me, this is one chapter I have a lot of trouble with, mostly with what kind of name I want her to have!**

 **But with this, I'm back in the BNHA fanfic business! Look forward to more chapters soon!**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Hero Internship begins**

* * *

After the whole debacle about Hero names, with Bakugou finally relenting to using his last name as his temporary Hero name, Aizawa issues us a list of Pro Heroes for us to choose from for the upcoming Workplace Internship. Those of us that got drafted got an additional list that listed all the Pro Heroes that has scouted for us. We are to submit our pick by this weekend.

Which brings us to lunch and me talking it over with Taikou and the rest of our little circle of friends. Shinsou, sadly, didn't show up at all. He did message me that he would be busy with some things, but still…

"So, which Heroes drafted you?" Taikou asked me.

"There's a quite a few well-known names here." I noted as I flip through the list I was given. Air Jet, Backdraft, Uwabami, Wild Wild Pussycats, Kamui Woods, Rock Lock, Snatch, a lot of these names were on the news at one point or another. Not on the level of the top ten, but definitely up there.

My eyes then wander to one name, Ingenium.

I have a feeling he would draft me after how he has spoken to me in the Sports Festival. Honestly, it might work to my advantage. Ingenium's agency, Team Idaten, is situated near Hosu City where Stain's latest kill was found. And not to mention that Ingenium is definitely on the Hero Killer's list of 'fake' Heroes, so there's a chance he would target the Hero if given the chance.

I feel a little guilty about possibly using my dad's old student as bait, but he is best shot I have right now.

"Hm?" A certain name on my list caught my eye, "Hawks…?" As in the number three Hero, the youngest Pro Hero to make it to that level and future double-agent? Why is his name here?

"Hey, Genko."

I was brought back to reality when Taikou snaps his fingers in front of my face, "You okay? You were spacing out there."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing." I assures him, "Just thinking about which Hero to pick for the Internship."

"Must be nice to get scouted by the Pros." Tetsutetsu grumbles as he eats his gyudon, "The only ones in our class that got drafted the most are Kendo and Taikou. The rest of us didn't even get one offer."

"Kendo-san only got like ten offers, though…" Taikou noted.

"How many offers did you get, Taikou-kun?" Tsuyu asked curiously.

"About three thousand…ish?"

"That's a lot!" Kirishima cries out, "Dude, you're up there with Bakugou and Todoroki!"

"Midoriya-san as well." I added in.

"Yeah, he's our class's hero, that's for sure." Tetsutetsu noted, "Heck, he even got the attention of Endeavor."

"The number two!? You're really making waves, man!"

"He is Class 1-B shining star!" Pony declares happily.

I nod to her words. Taikou is definitely going up in the world, especially with that super flashy fight with Bakugou. Although I did think that him giving up the match would hurt his chances a little. I guess I think wrong.

"So, who are you guys going to pick?" Tsuyu asked.

"Fourth Kind, that's for sure!" Kirishima declares to us, "When you think manly, there's no one else quite like him!"

"Oh, he's my pick too!" Tetsutetsu stated with a grin, "That's great! It'll be awesome working with you, bro!"

"Me too, bro!"

And cue the manliest handshake since Armstrong and Curtis.

"I'm still thinking about it, though." Pony tells us, "What about you, Tsuyu-chan?"

"Maybe somewhere near the water?" Tsuyu noted before turning to me, "Genko-chan, how about it? Which Hero are you picking?"

"Hm, maybe Ingenium?" I noted, "I mean, he did come to talk to me back in the Sports Festival. What about you, Taikou?"

"Me? I'm not sure…"

We discussed the topic to its fullest until the lunch bell rang. By the end of it, I think every one of us has made a decision on it.

* * *

"Support lab no.4… Support lab no.4…"

I scan the passing rooms' door plates, trying to find the room that Aizawa has refer me to.

It is now after school, and after getting the blueprints for the add-ons that Tetsu has emailed me just this afternoon, I decided to ask my homeroom teacher if I can make some changes to my Hero costume. I couldn't make heads or tails about his blueprints; all I can tell from it is that it will be gloves at least. Not sure how it is going to help me with my quirk's handicap.

But it is made by my brother, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Aizawa then refers me to the labs at the Support Department building, where any changes to our Hero costumes are to be issued there. Normally, no one would make any changes to their costumes this early in the semester, especially first-years like myself, but he is willing to make an exception for this.

And with the way Tetsu has written in his email, this might be crucial for the remaining term, especially with the Workplace Internship coming up soon.

Now, if only I can find that darn lab…

"Tatsuya?"

A certain two-toned haired teen walks up to me in the corridor much to my surprise.

"Oh, Todoroki-san?" I greet him, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make some changes to my costume." He tells me, "My fight with Midoriya has open my eyes a little. And it made me want to change, starting with my costume."

"I see…"

This must be where his half-frozen costume gets a huge overhaul. Guess Midoriya has really made a huge impact on him for him to make such a huge change.

"And you?"

"Oh, me? Back at the Sports Festival, my quirk's weakness is made very apparent to me. So, I asked my brother for advice and he came up with an add-on to my costume that can help compensate for it."

"I see."

"Yup."

"…"

"…"

Well, this is awkward. I guess we didn't really talk much before all of this, with him and his daddy issues and me with trying to make sense of the plot and places I wish to make some changes.

"So… which lab did Aizawa-sensei refer to you?"

"Lab 5."

"Oh, same as mine! Want to head there, together?"

"Sure."

The two of us slowly make our way down the corridor, looking out for the door plate all the while an awkward silence echo between us.

Oh god, this is so awkward…

"Can I ask you something, Tatsuya?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Back in class, when we're coming up with Hero names, you brought up wanting to be a Hero like your father. Do you really mean it like that?"

"Huh?" I'm confused by his words, "Why do you mean?"

"Your father, do you really want to be like him?"

I'm just confused at that, before remember his little trauma and issues with his own father. I guess someone who wants to emulate their parents in some way is confusing to him, especially when that parent is a Hero.

"Is this about Endeavor?" I asked curiously, getting a nod in response, "Well, I don't think it is right to compare my dad with him. He is way better than Endeavor, not to mention much nicer and the way better Hero."

"Hermes didn't even make it to the top ten rankings, though?" He pointed out.

"Eh, rankings don't matter! For me, the best Hero would forever be Hermes! I mean, All Might is cool and all, but Hermes is way cooler than him!"

"I… see?"

I felt my cheeks heating up at his flat but bewildered response before letting out a few coughs to try and dispel my embarrassment a little, "The point is, I don't think me trying to become a Hero like dad meant anything to you and your father's relationship. You don't have to try to become him, you know."

"Yeah… I guess…"

"Besides, I don't think you are suited for the whole ruthless persona like him." I noted, "You're more of the icy yet warm persona than anything else. Oh, here's an idea for your future Hero name! The Cold-Warm Hero: Icy-Flames! Eh? What do you think?"

"Heh, maybe." He noted with a smile.

Holy shit, he looks so cool! Those eyes, that smile, that perfect chin-line! He has the perfect face for a host! A model even! Oh man, how is the gruff and rough Endeavor related to him!?

"Hm? What's wrong, Tatsuya?"

"O-Oh! N-Nothing! Hey, look! Lab 5!"

We made it to the lab without any more trouble, but the image of Todoroki smiling is seared into my brain now.

* * *

The week passed by within a blink of an eye.

Besides school, I have been using my spare time after school to prepare for the upcoming internship. Practicing my forms, sparring with Taikou, trying to beat my fastest speed, working on my movements and so forth. I didn't waste a single moment to improve myself, even image training with what I could do to take down Stain.

Of course, I didn't neglect my schoolwork and still studied for the midterms that would definitely come after the internship.

Soon enough, it is time for the internship.

"You all got your costumes, right?" Aizawa tells us as both we and Class 1-B are gathered at the Musutafu train station after a small briefing at school, "Obviously, wearing them in public is strictly prohibited, but be careful not to drop them."

"Yeeaaah~!"

"Don't slur your 'yeah', Ashido." He warns her before turning to the rest of us, "Now, all of you, I expect you all to be on your best behavior, do you understand?"

"Same goes for you guys too." Class 1-B's homeroom teacher, Vlad King added in.

""Yes, sir!""

"Good, now go on. Don't be late for your internship."

Everyone all starts to part ways with one another, some heading to a different line while some are buddied up with each other.

With a huff, I adjusted my heavy haversack and checked my hero costume's case before heading towards the train line heading towards Hosu City. This is it, the start of the arc. Whether or not Stain gets taken down, it'll all depends on what I can change from here on.

"Hey, Genko."

To my surprise, Taikou suddenly walks up to me before I could enter the gantry, "What is it, Taikou?"

"I… just want to say that I've got your back if you need it, okay? If you need any help, just call."

"…Of course. Thanks, Taikou."

I know he has my back. I know that all too well.

But that is why I can't tell him about my plans. I can't risk his future, especially with how much progress he has made so far. Too much is at stake for him, not as much as me.

And so, with a heavy heart, I walk through the gantry and towards the train departing towards Hosu City.

* * *

As Taikou watches his childhood friend heads for the next railway line, he hopes that she would be alright.

Over the week, he has noticed something off about her. A certain abnormal drive to improve has driven her to train harder than before. And this isn't just about her quirk either.

During sparring, there's a sense that she is fighting someone else, someone extremely dangerous with how she is desperately moving about. For every movement, she has this look in her eyes that doesn't bode well with him.

Whatever is driving her right now, it feels like it would just bring her more harm in the process.

He wanted to help her, and the fact that she most likely wouldn't allow him to do so is chewing at him.

'Just… don't do anything reckless, Genko…' With a final wistful look, he walks back to the station towards his train.

He has an internship to go to.

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

*Sorry. No omake this week…* TT_TT

* * *

 **Okay, so this is it. The Hero Internship arc has officially commenced! The arc that I have been semi-dreading for a while now.**

 **Sorry it took so long. I have trouble with how I want to go with this chapter. I was intending to be longer, but I fear it might take too long and just ruin the whole chapter all together.**

 **Also, for those who read this on SpaceBattle and SufficientVelocity, you can now see what Hero I ended up picking!**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**

 ***I didn't realized that I didn't post this chapter here until now. Oh man, this is embarrassing... O/O**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Hero Internship**

It took at least a couple of hours long train ride till I got to Hosu Station.

When I got there, I was greeted by Ingenium's own head-secretary and was ushered into a car before we drove off into the main streets.

"Ingenium wanted to personally come get you, but he is pretty busy recently, so I was asked to fetch you instead." The cat-eared woman in a black business suit tells me, "I'm Nekorin Chita, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Tatsuya Genko."

"A polite one, huh?"

Soon enough, we made it to Team Idaten's headquarters.

The HQ is quite far from the major districts, built at the edge of the city with roads sprouting out from it that leads right into said districts. The main building itself consists of a large wide building about ten stories tall with its first four stories extended outwards from its sides, with the agency's logo on a billiard at the top floor. On its right is a carpark that has several trucks parked next to one another, all having the same logo printed on its side. All of it is surrounded by a metal and concrete fence with a lone metal gate to let people in and out.

With how many sidekicks they employed, I'm surprise the building isn't any bigger, or an entire compound of their own.

"Welcome, to Team Idaten's headquarters."

As I'm escorted into the main building, I am greeted by the sight of several costumed Heroes wandering about the foyer, with many civilians by the receptionist counter, hauling trays of paperwork or just holding them, with some even on the phone as they ran.

"This building houses all of our sidekicks and civilian staffs." She explains to me, "Ingenium's office in the top floor, and the living quarters is at the back. If you follow me, I'll-"

"Everyone! Clear the entranceway!"

Everyone in the foyer quickly move aside as couple of them ran to open up the double door. Within moments, something fast dashing right through the opened doors before Ingenium skids to a stop right in the middle of the foyer with as much style as a skidding motorist.

"I'm back, guys!" He greeted.

"Welcome back!" Many of his sidekicks greeted back, some with a casual wave.

"Welcome back, Ingenium, sir." Nekorin bows to him as he walks up to us before gesturing to me, "Your intern for the week has just arrived."

"Tatsuya Genko! Glad to have you here!" He cheerily states as he reaches out his hand for a handshake, which I gladly give him, "Man, I didn't think you'll really choose here for your internship. I was sure that you'll pick a more famous Hero Agency."

"I was going to, but I feel I'll improve more if I interned under you." I responded. Of course, that's only part of the reason, besides my plans of possibly stopping Stain. "Plus, you did extend a personal offer."

"True, true. Guess that makes me going all the way Yuuei worth it in the end, huh?" He chuckles, "Come on, let's go to my office, and let me tell you more about Team Idaten along the way."

Together with Nekorin, he brought me into the elevator where it slowly rises up with floors one at a time.

"As you might be well-aware, Team Idaten is founded on the principal of teamwork. We are willing to hire all sorts of sidekicks and then deploy them to where their quirks would suit the situation." He explains to me, "Front line, support staff, navigators, patrollers, etc.; if there's a way your quirk and skills could help, we would deploy you accordingly."

"So, what about me?" I asked.

"With your quirk, it would be best put on the front lines with me." He added, "You'll be shadowing me into every case I get into. So, I want you to be prepared, because this isn't going to be like in school."

Soon enough, the bell chimed the top floor and the elevator doors opened to reveal his office.

It is a large room with at least three different tables with two of them currently occupied by two costumed heroes who greets him as we walk by. At the end of it, right in front of a large window that looks out over Hosu City, is a large table filled with papers and files along with a computer setup with a monitor that has the agency's logo on its back.

"Give me a second here…" He tells me as he searches his drawers for a bit, before handing me a keycard, "Okay, so this is your access keycard for the place. Try not to lose it. The people down in HR are kind of pissed from all the missing keycards lately…" I chuckle at that and pocketed it immediately. "Chita, mind showing her to her room later?"

"With pleasure, sir."

"Thank you, Chita. After you unpacked, meet me back here, okay? I'll explain your internship then."

"Oh, sure."

* * *

Nekorin escorted me back down the elevator to a different floor, where we walk pass a connecting bridge into what I can safely assume is the living quarters. The hallways are empty, as expected of a late morning at a Hero Agency, with several doors lined up in a row, each with a number and letter on them.

"The living quarters are divided into four blocks lettered A to D." She explains as we walk down the hallway, "Your room is in the D block, and room number would be D-12." She shows me the door, where there's an electronic card reader under the doorknob. I slide the keycard through it, its light turns from red to green with a click to indicate the door unlocking.

I push the door and walks into the room.

It is a pretty decent sized bedroom with white plain curtains over the window as well as white sheets over the single-sized bed with white pillows. There's even a cupboard next to it that has a full-length mirror.

After a word from Chita to head to Ingenium's office as soon as possible, I proceed to change out of my uniform and into my Hero costume, which includes a couple of add-ons by my brother; A pair of black gloves with white carbon fiber plates sewed on the back of the gloves, its palms are white and layered with some kind of scale-like pattern.

According to him, the scales are made from nylon and are layered in a way that they rub against each other every time I move any part of my hands in any way possible, generating static electricity for me to absorb.

And already, I felt the effect working as just twitching my finger a tiny bit has me absorbing some level of charge from the get go. Not enough for me to increase my speed, but it meant that it is working as intended.

I've got to hand it to Tetsu-nii, he definitely knows how to innovate and design Hero gear; even if it made the job harder for Power Loader.

After a few more adjustments in front of the mirror to be sure I'm wearing it right, I exited the room and retrace my steps back to the office where Ingenium is waiting for me.

"So that's your hero costume?" He commented when I returned to the office, "I wasn't expecting the jacket. Won't that create drag when you run?"

"That's why it is a bolero." I stated with a grin, "Small flaps, less drag."

"Huh, guess that would make sense…" He chuckles before getting up from his seat, "Come on, let me give a tour of the place as we discuss our schedule for the week. Ah, what is your Hero name, by the way?"

"Tempest."

"Sounds… breezy."

"Was that a wind pun?"

"Maybe~?"

Well, guess he is way more of a friendly guy that I have thought…

* * *

The facility of Team Idaten isn't that out of ordinary. It's almost what I would expect from a civil defense HQ would be like, only with costumed Heroes instead of uniformed officers walking about.

For the rest of the morning till noon, Ingenium has showed me pretty much every place I would need to know about the compound, from where the office cafeteria is, the communications room, to even where the emergency exit is in case a Villain attacks the place. Not sure why they would need one, considering that there are very little chance for a Villain to try to assault the place before getting swarmed by the amount of Heroes within minutes.

Then again, some Villains has shown been pretty destructive and might level the place if given the chance to.

"And this is the training grounds."

He brought me to a separate building at the back of the compound, a large at least two stories high building connected to the main building by a concrete path with a blue arc-like roof. When we enter it, it reveals to be something similar to a sports hall complex with its own race track where people are running laps around.

Heck, there's even some gym equipment and gymnastics course available on ground. Some were being made into good use by some of Ingenium's other sidekicks' quirks; one is even using its large gelatinous body to lift and work with six different dumbbells all at once, three on each 'hand'.

"This is where you should go if you want to train up your skills, or just want to get some exercise." He explains, "Weight lifting, Gymnastics, Track, Cardio, and so on. We try to give everyone something to use to work on. I personally use this place every morning."

"Whoa, amazing…" I noted in awe. I wasn't expecting an actual training place on the compound itself! Man, Team Idaten must be loaded to able to allow this to be created.

"Actually, why don't we have a little training session right now?"

"Right now?"

He nodded before walking towards the tracks as he took out a pair of racing shades from within his costume, "Let's have a little race to test out how well your quirk work. I'll even make this interesting; First one to finish six laps wins, and the loser has to pay for lunch later."

"Oh, it's on! I have to warn you, I'm a rather big eater!"

"I like your confidence! But be prepared to eat your words!"

With that being said, the two of us proceeds down onto the tracks, where the other runners quickly stop running and left the field to stand on the sidelines. Soon enough, almost everyone stopped what they are doing and is watching us.

"Hey, who is that kid?"

"Ah, she must be the new intern from Yuuei. The first-years are doing their week-long internships, right?"

"I didn't think we're even accepting any."

"Wait, isn't she that girl that got third in the Sports Festival?"

"Whoa, I think you're right!"

Murmurs like those starts echoing among the walls, which is kind of expected seeing as their boss is basically challenging the rookie to a race.

"Hey, Enigma. Mind starting us off, will you?"

"Sure, why not?"

The large gelatinous blob of a Sidekick slithers… or is it slugging…? Anyway, they move towards our starting area before raising a single blobby tentacle.

"Ready…"

I clench both my fists; the action seemingly generated enough static electricity for me charge up to accelerate myself. A few more finger twitches and I'm fully charged up.

"GO!"

The moment the tentacle is swung down, I felt the charge flows into my nerves as I dashes down the track as fast as I am able. Ingenium seems to have the same idea from the similar sounding engine rumbling next to me.

"Haha! Not bad!" He stated as we complete the first lap still neck to neck, "It has been a while since I have someone match my speed!"

"Just you wait! I'll overtake you yet!"

The next few laps are still the same, we both are still match to match in speed with neither of us managing to pull ahead of the other. Thanks to Tetsu-nii's gloves, I'm able to maintain that speed just be twitching my fingers every once in a while, though the action has me slow down at certain moments which nearly cost me the draw a few times.

"Come on, Ingenium-san! Show that newbie who's boss!"

"Don't give up, new kid!"

"Don't let some student show you up!"

"500yen that Ingenium would leave her in the dust!"

"Oh, you're on!"

The audience that has surrounded us has started cheering us on, bets are being distributed around to my chagrin. This is a Hero Agency, isn't it? Is that even allowed?

And when the last lap came…

"Sorry, Tatsuya Genko! But as the head Hero of this agency, I can't afford to lose to a student! RECIPRO BURST!"

At the last stretch of the track before the finishing line, he activates the same technique Iida used in the Sports Festival, speeding past me as his elbow's exhaust port extrudes blue flames. Oh right, they have the same quirk, don't they? It would make sense that they would have the same acceleration method!

Well, I'm not going let him take the lead!

"YAARGGGHH!"

With a loud shout, I channel all of my charge into accelerating forward. My surrounding immediately blurs and the wind blow against my fast as I speeds up after him in the same manner as when I chase after Midoriya back in the USJ.

Within moments, I speed right up to him just as we race past the Enigma; the blob-like sidekick immediately raises his tentacles up to signal the end of the race. We both quickly slam on our metaphorical brakes, our soles skidding against the concrete floor as we slow ourselves down.

"O-Oh shit!"

"T-Tempest!?"

I then realized that I has gone way too fast and isn't slowing down fast enough, skidding past Ingenium who has slowed to a stop. I force my feet down onto the ground as hard as I can to try to add more friction, but it wasn't enough with the concrete wall slowly coming closer with each passing moment.

"A-AAAHH!" This is going to hurt!

"F-Fuusenko!"

"On it!"

One of the watching sidekicks suddenly appears in front of me and inflates up like a balloon, allowing me to crash into his soft body like a large air bag. I let out an audible sigh of relief as he deflates like whoopie cushion as we both sink onto the ground.

"Are you alright!?" Ingenium calls out as he ran up to me, "Anything broken!?"

"Nothing, thank god for that…" I tells him before turning to the sidekick who saved me, "Thanks for save, um…"

"Just call me Fuusenko."

"Fuusen-Oh, because of your-"

"I know, I know, not the most inventive name; but you can't deny that it fits."

"Oh, most definitely."

"That's a huge relief…" Ingenium sighs before chuckling as he helps me back onto my feet, "At least we know we have to work your braking skills."

"Yeah, can't deny that." I giggled, "Didn't think I'll faceplant into a wall after middle school…"

"It happens to the best of us at times."

"So… who won?"

"Huh, that's a good question." He turns to Enigma, "Hey, who won the race?"

"Sorry, sir. Can't really tell…" The glob sheepishly chuckles.

"Now that's a bummer…" I sighed. Not going to lie, I wanted to see if I could outmatch one of japan's fastest Heroes, aside from Hermes that is. It would be a good measuring point for me to use as reference.

"Eh, why don't we just call it a draw for now?" Ingenium tells me, "But I have to say, you are way faster than I gave you credit for."

"As fast as dad was?"

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves now."

We both shared a chuckle before the other sidekicks came to talk, some even congratulate me on being the only other costumed Hero to match Ingenium in speed of recent. Even with the threat of Stain possibly looming around, I'm definitely looking forward to my time here.

* * *

Taikou wasn't sure why this Hero even extended an internship to him of all people.

If anything, he was sure that he would be the last person that should be on this guy's radar, but here he is, standing in her office after being asked to changed into his Hero costume.

"I'm glad you accepted my offer." The Hero stated as she sat on the desk looking through some papers, "Got to say, you are definitely more well-build than when you are on TV."

"Thanks, I guess…?"

"Come on, what's with that polite attitude? Where's that fiery attitude in the semi-finals?" She asks as she walks up to him, "And your costume? Simplistic and practical all in one. It could use more color, though."

He wasn't sure what to make of that sentence.

Genko has mentioned about adding some colors into his costume when they brainstormed about their costumes, but he felt that his flames are bright enough without his costume being too blinding.

In that sense, his Hero costume consists of the most simplistic design he can come up without it getting too flashy or too emo looking.

A white sleeveless jacket that has a blue fire emblem sewed into the back of it under a black skintight turtleneck shirt, with a pair of matching white pants with a couple of blue stripes along the side of the legs that cut off under his knees and held tight around his legs by a pair of white knee protectors.

Along with a pair of red shoes with white soles, there's also a pouch that is tied to a belt on his back as well as a pair of white gloves that covers up half his forearm with black knuckle guards, with a pair of blue tinted aviator shades to finish the look off.

"But what am I to say about aesthetic choices?" She added walked back to the desk, retrieving a sheet of paper from its surface, "Do you know why I offer you an internship with me?"

"Not really, no."

"Well, it's because I saw something back in the Sport Festival. A spark, a burning passion that I can relate to." She turns back to him, "In your fight in the semi-finals, I saw an undying drive to kick that guy's ass to kingdom come that you push yourself to the limit to do, to go plus ultra on the blond bastard. But then you forfeited in the end and… well, let's just say I'm more than a little disappointed at that."

"Wait. Are you disappointed at me, or praising me?"

"A little of both, to be honest." She stated as she pokes her finger on his chest, "Which is why I offer my internship to you. You got potential and the drive, which I'm going to force it out of you in our one-week internship together. I hope you are prepared, because I'm not going to make it easy on you."

Taikou felt a shudder goes down his spine at her words. Never in his life would he felt this much fear towards someone that is shorter than him that isn't Genko in a bad mood.

"Now then! I hope you love parkour, because that's what we're going to do right now! Let's head to the roof!"

For being called the Rabbit Hero, Mirko sure isn't like his childhood friend's favorite animal in the slightest.

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

[Sorry, can't think of any this time either…]

* * *

 **Yeah, sorry for taking so long. Writer's block and all that. I'm just glad I've managed to finish this chapter at all.**

 **At any rate, newest manga chapter spoilers alert, it is now revealed to everyone that the Villain Kurogiri is actually a Nomu formed from the dead body of one Shirokumo, Aizawa's late closest friend and the reason he even managed to become a Hero in the first place. Not going to lie, that came out a left field and has everyone either liking the surprise, or hating it.**

 **Me? I'm leaning to shock than anything else.**

 **And another thing, a time skip will be happening in the latest chapter with an ominous feeling of dread for the hero society in the whole. Can't wait to find out what that is.**

 **Now, to the fic, you all must be wondering why I put Taikou with Mirko of all people. Well, not much is known about Mirko other than she is a no-nonsense Hero who isn't afraid to speak her mind about everything.**

 **And thanks to that, I get to write my own version of her, with is basically a more subdued version of Bakugou minus the inferiority complex. Add the fact that she focused more on kicks, and she is the perfect mentor for Taikou.**

 **That, I really want to write her into the story.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Mayhem in Hosu**

"Hey, Tempest! Heading off for your first night patrol?"

"Yup, that's right."

"Good luck with that. Coffee is available in the cafeteria if you want. Not free though!"

"Hehe, I'll keep that in mind!"

I greeted the sidekick a good evening before stepping into the elevator and pressing the ground floor, letting the soft tunes washes me over as I check over my costume one more time.

It has been two days into my week-long internship, and still no sign of any movements from Stain. Everything had been rather peaceful, all things considered. Today, the third day, might change that.

During all that time, I've worked with Team Idaten and Ingenium on their patrols and even helped out in the crimes that took place; most of them are small-time crimes too, either purse snatchers or speed maniacs on the highway.

The last one was a rush on the morning of my second day. Some guy with ostrich legs just starts running through the busy highway leading out of the town and disrupting traffic. Ingenium was immediately dispatched for it and I followed along with him. We immediately rush out onto the highway and catches up to him in no time at all.

Funnily enough, it turns out that the guy was just in a such hurry to deliver some documents to a client located in the next town over that he couldn't afford to wade through the heavy traffic. After some warning about breaking the traffic laws as well as having me deliver the documents in his steed, we have the case closed just as the afternoon sun struck.

That was the most thrilling part of my two days, and I'm not sure what to make of it. If anything, this all feels like the calm before the storm.

I know Stain is still out there, but there has been no sign of him doing anything. No sightings, no injured Heroes, nothing at all.

Not sure if he is bidding his time, or if the League of Villains got to him, but it has been bothering me for a while. And with today being the canon day in which Stain got captured, I'm betting that something might happen.

But right now, I'm about to head off on my first night patrol.

"Evening, Tempest." Ingenium greeted me when I entered the entrance hall, "Ready for your first night patrol?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!"

"Good! I hope you like coffee, because that's what you'll be craving after this!"

Ingenium and I exited the compound, the sun already dipping into the horizon by the time we enter the city proper and began our usual patrol route.

"Night patrols aren't that different from the ones we did in the day." He tells me as we walked along the sidewalk, "The only real difference is that there's a higher chance of encountering a Villain during the night than the day. Can you tell me why?"

"It is because there's lesser chance of getting captured than in the morning?"

"Correct, but that's not all. With less people about, there's lesser witness of call them in than in the day. Now, just as a reminder, you are not to engage in any Villains on your own; you are still a student and a minor, not to mention you haven't got your provisional license yet. If you are to encounter one, signal us on the comm set and don't fight them. Run if you need to."

I nodded in acknowledgement as I felt the walkie clipped on my belt.

Team Idaten has a private comm link system that linked up the support crew's command center back at the compound with the Heroes and Sidekicks on the field. Every sidekick has a walkie or headset that they carry around whenever they go out on patrol, some even has them customized so that it wouldn't clash with their costume; Ingenium himself has a set of headphone and speaker built in his helmet.

Due to my intern status, they decided to issue me with their standard issued walkie which they issue to all new sidekicks. It's not as bulky as the ones used by the police with a single button to press whenever I wish to speak into it. There's even an emergency button that sends an SOS to every comm link in the system.

"Oh, as a side note, keep an eye out at the alleyways."

That sentence got my attention. Alleyways are the territory of Stain; his guerrilla/ninja styled methods are well-suited for it. For him to mention that…

"Is it because of Stain?" I asked.

"Yeah." He nodded, "One of the local Heroes got attacked and hospitalized last week. As a precaution, I've made sure that everyone keeps their eyes opened for him and to report if they spot him. So far, we haven't encountered him and there hasn't been another attack for a while."

"But considering his pattern, he would strike again soon."

"Precisely. That's why keep a look out, but don't engage him."

I nodded before taking a look around.

Engaging him or not, Stain is definitely a dangerous individual to be left lurking around in the shadows. His killstreak and quirk aside, what is most dangerous is his twisted ideology, one which can be seen as right if looked at a certain angle.

That doesn't make him killing off Heroes left and right correct, though.

As we carry on with our patrol, the skies start turn dark while the street lights are being turned on as the late evening sun fully set. The streets are still relatively crowded with both night workers as well as students from regular high schools. There are even other Heroes patrolling about as well, some we encounter and greeted in our patrols.

Some of them look like the ones that would soon get involved in the fight against the Nomus. That just worries me more with each passing minute. If this goes according to canon, we would have a large city destroying disaster in our hands soon, with Stain in the background killing off another Hero.

If that's the case, do I help out with the Heroes or head off to look for Stain?

I mean, the Nomus would be dealt with when Endeavor would with no doubt show up to the scene and take care of them within minutes with or without my help, and Stain would add another Hero into his purge of 'fake' Heroes if I don't stop him.

Even so, how do I even go about finding him? I can't search every alleyway and expect to get lucky with him. Midoriya has plot going for him, so that method works for him, but not for me. Not to mention that my very existence could butterflied his location to somewhere totally different, or could have him killing a Hero BEFORE the Nomus began their attack.

Either way, I'm stuck. Let's hope that Shigaraki could be rational and calm and not pull a city wrecking temper tantrum after Stain rejected him.

"Oh, Manual-san."

"Evening, Ingenium."

Ingenium greets the next Hero we encounter, the Normal Hero Manual. If this was canon, Iida would be interning under this guy. Instead, the guy's alone with no sidekick around as far as I can tell.

"Out for night patrol today?" The fish-themed Hero noted, "And not alone for once? A new sidekick?"

"No, unfortunately." He tells him, "This here is Tempest, our intern from UA."

"UA? Oh, I recognize you! You're that girl who got Third in the UA Sports Festival!"

"Y-Yeah." Man, are people still talking about that? You're the third Pro Hero to take note of that.

"And now you're interning with Ingenium? You're really moving up in the world. I didn't get any interns from UA this year, so I'm a little jealous of you, Ingenium."

"Haha, better luck next year."

Ah, right. In canon, Iida would intern under him with the intention of hunting down Stain. But with lack of that reason, he wouldn't have chosen his agency. Did I unintentionally ruin his chances? Whoops…

"So, any sights of Stain?" Ingenium quietly asks him, but not quiet enough to stop me from Eavesdropping, which I don't think is what he is going for.

"None." Manual sighs, "It's like he just up and vanished into thin air."

"That's disconcerting…" He muses, "It's not his MO to just end with just one Hero in one city. You have any ideas why that's the case?"

"Well, Endeavor has been patrolling the city for the past week. Maybe he scared him off?"

"Maybe, but is he really that easy scared of him?"

"Who can say? I mean, Endeavor is pretty scary."

Yeah, but Stain is insanely obsessed with purging the 'fake' Heroes from the world. Heck, the guy tries to pick a fight with the flaming bastard when he has a broken ribcage! You think he would be scared of him if that's the case?

"Any ideas to contribute, Tempest?"

"Huh? You're asking me?" I blinked in surprise. Why am I suddenly getting involved in this discussion?

"Yeah. You look like you have something to add." Ingenium noted.

"It's okay. Anything is good." Manual added.

I'm not sure how to go about this. Well, if they want my opinion on this…

"I highly doubt Stain would just leave the city after just one victim." I stated, "It is not like him to stop at one. He must either be scouting his next target, or is laying low till our guards are down before striking."

"Hm, that's a possibility." Ingenium noted, "Any idea who might be his next target be?"

"That's a flip of the coin, unfortunately." I pointed out. Although, he might still be aiming for Ingenium. Or he might go after Native now as per according to canon.

"Then we can only stay vigilant and make sure to keep an eye out, as usual." He concluded before turning to Manual, "Sorry for taking up your patrol time, Manual-san."

"It's fine." He noted with a smile, "It's not like there's anything major that needs my attention-"

*BOOM*

A sudden explosion can be heard erupting from further down the street. The screams of people running away from it as well as smoke rising from that direction are more than enough to tell me what is going on.

The Nomus! So Shigaraki has made his move!

"What was that!?" Ingenium shouted.

"Command, please come in!" The walkie on my belt buzzes which I quickly lift up to my ear to hear it properly, "This is Enigma! Villains have appeared at South Avenue and are wrecking the city! Requesting immediate backup-OH SHIT!"

There's a loud boom and the comms cut off.

"Engima? Engima!? Damn it!" The Turbo Hero grunted before pressing on his helmet's comms set, "This is Ingenium to Team Idaten command! Deploy an immediate perimeter around Sound Avenue and evacuate all civilians to the safety zones!"

"Roger!"

"Anyone closest to the site, head to the scene and back Enigma up! Me and Tempest will meet you guys there!"

"Big Bang and Fuusenko are on the way!"

"Let's go." He tells me before we both dashes towards the scene at our top speeds.

* * *

I knew Nomus are extremely dangerous, if the one in USJ is any comparison. They are horrendous and powerful monsters, bio-weapons of All-For-One that cause havoc and mayhem wherever they are deployed.

Knowing that, I am still horrified when we reached the scene of their mayhem.

The once busy streets of Hosu City are down in ruins. Street lights are either broken or straight up destroyed, a building is on fire while another has its roof completely blown off, trees toppled over, a bus on its side with shattered windows; it's like a hurricane has blown through.

And in the middle of it all, are three large Nomus of various grotesque design. One has wings, the other has very long limps with four eyes, one doesn't even have a proper head; all with their large brains exposed.

All the local Heroes are already fighting with them to no avail, some are just straight doing nothing to them. One of them even got grabbed by the long armed one and was sent flying.

"W-What are those things!?" Ingenium cries out in shock as we saw the long armed Nomu chases after the tossed Hero, "Are they even human?"

"I-Ingenium…"

A weak voice calls out, Enigma's blobby form is slouched against some rumble with an unconscious civilian woman in her protective grasp.

"Enigma!"

He quickly runs towards her, just as she releases the civilian from her blob tentacles into his arms before changing back into her human form; a short woman with black braided pigtails and the same blank look face as her other form.

"What happened here?" He asks her.

"Those monsters… They come out of nowhere…" She mutters out tiredly, "Nothing… the other heroes do… could hurt them…"

"Ingenium!" One of the Heroes at present, the one with insect wings on his forearm, calls out to us, "If you want to assist, now would be a good time!"

"None of our attacks are working!" Another shouted out, a female hero in a white and green body suit with a red scarf.

"Damn it, what is even going on…?" Ingenium mutters.

"Nomu…"

"Tempest?"

I quickly turn to him and explains, "They look like the monster that attacked USJ! The same thing that took All Might all he has to take down!"

"Seriously!? And now there are three of them!?"

"No, I don't think they are on the same scale. If anything, these three looks physically weaker."

"Then we might stand a chance against them." Ingenium noted.

"We're here!"

A loud voice shouted as the familiar face of Fuusenko runs onto the scene with his partner Big Bang who has his armored arms red and steaming and ready for action. "What's the situation?"

"Bad, really bad." Ingenium hands the unconscious civilian to Fuusenko, "Tempest, get Enigma."

"Got it." I rush over to her and slung the female sidekick over my shoulder, "Can you walk?"

"A… little…"

"Fuusenko, you and Tempest are to bring those two out of here and to the perimeter's medical site." He commanded, "After that, Tempest is to join in the evacuating team and get every civilian out of South Avenue."

"Roger!"

"Big Bang, you are with me. We have to at least keep them here, at least until Endeavor shows up!"

"Gladly!" He slams his fists together, the armored limbs letting out a hiss of steam in response.

With our orders received, the two of us rushes out of the scene just as Ingenium's engines roared to life from behind us.

* * *

"Tempest, over here!"

I follow Fuusenko to the perimeter Team Idaten has set at Hoth Boulevard; the trucks and vans all forming a wall of sorts with several sidekicks and an area where the medical teams are helping out with the injured civilians. There're even some curious by-standers all trying to peek into the perimeter to see what's the commotion is about.

I quickly lie Enigma on one of the laid-out mats as a medic quickly got to her and starts looking her over. She doesn't look too beat up with just a few bruises here and there and the intense fatigue she had built up from staying transformed in such a weaken state.

"Is there anyone not yet evacuated?" I ask one of the sidekicks on standby.

"Most of South Avenue has been cleared." He tells me, "But there's still some at the business district not accounted for yet."

"Got it. I'll go take a look."

And just as I was about to leave…

"Please! You've got to find her!"

One of the by-standers shouted at us, a young woman crying out as she grabs onto the sidekick's costume, "My daughter is still in there! You have to find her!"

"Ma'am, please calm down!"

"Please! Kirinko is all that I have left! I can't lose her too!"

As she cries her heart out, I turned to both of them and gave the sobbing mother a nod. "I'll find her." With those promised words said, I flex my hands a little to build up charge and quickly rocketed down the streets.

* * *

"Kirinko-chan! Kirinko-chan, please answer me!"

It has been at least a couple of minutes since I started looking, but no matter how much I shout her name or search the streets, I can't find any lick of anyone. I'm getting really worried for her. With the Nomus running amok, who knows what Villains would take advantage of the chaos for their own devious deeds.

And with a scared young child lost and alone… I don't want to connect the dots even if I know what that might imply.

There's also Stain still on the loose, but he only targets Heroes, so the girl is safe from him at least. At least, I hope…

So far, main streets are empty with no sign of anyone at all, not even any Heroes running about to help with the evacuation. The places I have left to search are the alleyways between the buildings, the hunting grounds for the Hero Killer.

Would she even run into an alley to hide? Was the though that run through my head when I think of the possible locations she could have gone.

Seeing no other choice, I dashes into the alleys as fast as I could.

The back alleys of Hosu City are pretty clean for the most part; I passed a single trash bag when I ran through. At each corner I turn, I try to keep a look out for any signs of a young kid in hiding. Any clothing, lost hat, sobs, anything that could help pinpoint her location.

Then, as I about to turn another corner…

A red scarf, wrinkly eye mask, many knives on his belt, wielding a katana with a jagged blade, all of it indicates one person in mind. And in his hand, is an injured Hero in an American Indian inspired costume who goes by the Hero name of Native.

On the floor next to them, is a young girl with two giraffe horns poking out of her hair cowering on her knees with tears streaming down her face.

"Get…out of here, Kirinko…! …run…!"

"Acting heroic now? A little too late for that."

"Na-Native…!"

When I saw his angles his blade for a slash, I know I have to act.

I speed up as fast as I could and dashes right at the Hero Killer.

The Hero Killer immediately took notice of my actions and swung his blade towards me. My reflexes kicked in as I duck under his swing; I square my shoulders and raises my fists, and then jabs one into his face, knocking him back down the alley and releasing the injured Hero in his grasp, who slumps onto the floor.

I skid to a stop next to Native, "Are you alright?"

"W-Who…?"

"I'm Tempest. I'm a Hero intern from Team Idaten."

"Intern…?"

I turn to the sobbing child next; her shoulders are shaking with each sob and tears are still streaming down her cheeks. "Are you Kirinko-chan?"

"Ho…How do you know my na-name…?"

"Your mother has asked me to find you."

"M-Mommy…?" Her sobs worsen at the mention of her mother, "Mommy… I want my mommy…"

"A kid playing Hero…?" Stain scoffed as he got onto his feet, I got into a ready stance in response, "Buzz off, girl. This is no place for children."

"Quick, grab the kid and get out of here!" Native shouted at me, "It is me he's after!"

"What about you?"

"My body can't move! I think it is his quirk!"

Damn it, so he has already got to him… This is bad, I don't have the strength to carry both him and the young girl out of here. And that's not mentioning needing to get away from Stain as well. I can't do this on my own.

"Get lost, girl!" The Hero Killer points his sword at me, "You're in my way!"

"Go, Tempest! Forget about me! Just get the girl to safety!"

What should I do!? Grab the girl and abandon Native to his fate? Logically, that is the correct choice of action, but to just leave someone to die like that?

My hand then grazes something hard on my belt and I remembered. My walkie! That's it!

I immediately pick up my walkie from my belt and press emergency button, "This is Tempest to command! I've encounter Stain!"

"This is command. What is your location, Tempest?"

"It is at-AH!"

The communication device is knocked out of my hand by a swing of the Hero Killer's beat-up sword. The walkie tumbles about on the ground, sliding to a stop next to the wall close to Stain who simply walks up to it and stomps on it, crushing it into pieces under his metallic sole.

Crap! That's my only way to call for back-up!

"So, you're not a kid…" He stated with a scoff as he readies his blade, "But another fake 'Hero' in the works. Another trash to purge."

This is bad! Now I'm completely alone in this with no back-up coming! And not only that, I think I've just gotten myself added onto his blacklist! What do I do!? What should I do!?

"Tempest, run!" Native shouted, "Grab Kirinko and run!"

"M-Mommy…"

The little girl sobs did nothing to my nerves, but it did get me to steady myself and stop panicking.

No, wait… even if command didn't know my location, the fact that Stain is spotted should have them sending search parties for me. I don't know how long they are going to find me, but I have to stall him until then. That's the only way everyone here is getting out of here alive.

"O-Onee-san…?"

"There's nothing to fear, Kirinko-chan." I turns around to face the sobbing girl and give her the brightest smile I could muster at the moment, "I won't let the scary man hurt you."

"Tempest, what are you doing!? Just get out of here!"

Ignoring Native's words, I turn back to face the Hero Killer as he scoffed at my actions, "You should listen to him."

"Sorry, but that's not possible. After all,"

I flex my fingers, building up enough charge before clenches my fists and getting into a fighting stance.

"What kind of Hero would leave someone to die?"

…

 _To Be Continued…_

* * *

Omake

"Taikou, this is a bad idea."

"Relax, it is not like we're committing a crime."

"Yeah, but it is not right."

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to do this in the first place!"

Shinsou sighs as he turns to the currently brainwashed Genko staring blankly into the distance, before commanding, "Open up your shirt and do a belly dance."

She obediently obliged, casually opening up her school blouse and revealing her grey sports bra and tone stomach. Her hips then start to sway from side to side as she dances to an imaginary tune while showing off her nice hips.

Thankfully, they are on the roof during lunch break when no body is around to witness the slight immoral act of indecency being performed.

"Okay, so far as usual. I guess dancing doesn't count." Taikou noted, "Try something else."

"Sure." Shinsou nodded, "Sing a song."

The girl just keeps on dancing.

"Guess singing is counted as one."

"Yeah, unfortunately. But at least I know about my limitation."

"Yup."

"…"

"…"

They both look at their dancing friend, whom is starting to sweat a little. Her swaying hips draw their attention to them as they both swallow their spit they didn't know was building up.

"Okay, okay, stop, stop!" Shinsou cries out, "Stop and close up your shirt!"

The girl did exactly that, letting the two boys to let out a sigh.

"…Let's never speak of this again."

"Oh yeah, I'm bringing this to the grave with me."

* * *

 **Oh yeah! Time for the Stain arc to properly commence! Nomus are on the loose, Stain is killing Heroes, and Genko is now in a tight situation! Oh no, what is she to do?**

 **So yeah, Kirinko-chan. If you aren't weebs or know basic Japanese word place, kirin is not sure the name of a mystical monster, but the Japanese word for giraffes, thus the little horns. Not my proudest name, I admit, but for a one-off character, it is good enough.**

 **As for why I include the kid in, it is to add tension to the scene. Iida from canon chases down Stain for revenge, something which Genko isn't doing. If anything, she isn't actually actively chasing Stain down, just being cautious of him. After all, she has no idea if she has butterflied the Stain plot by saving Tensei or just delay the inevitable.**

 **And, well, Heroes saving kids is a cliché for a reason.**

 **With that, I thank you for reading this!**


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